Identity Crisis
by Michelle P
Summary: An accident on winter roads leaves Dean and Sam out in the cold. Dean is drawn deep into the forest where he is forced to take part in a story that he isn't supposed to survive. It's up to Sam to find Dean and help him to remember who he truly is.
1. Chapter 1

**IDENTITY CRISIS**

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural, or the characters, I'm just borrowing them for a little while!

**Summary: After a car accident on winter roads, Dean finds himself confused and drawn to a strange castle in the forest where an age old fatal mystery waits for him. Now Sam is in a race against time to find his injured brother and save him from a horrific end in a game that nobody has ever survived.**

**A/N: Well, here's one idea for a story, I have another story started, which I will possibly post up within the next few weeks, or I may wait until I complete this one to post the other. Until I decide what to do with my other story, enjoy this one and don't forget to let me know what you think! **

**CHAPTER 1**

At the base of a mountain, an old castle stands. It is worn with age, but still in its prime. Within its walls, a deadly secret waits for its next victim, watching the forest, looking for fresh blood to enter into the twisted world that has the building trapped.

In the top-most window a young woman sits, watching, waiting, humming. Her face is pale and her hair is dark, falling past her shoulders while her harsh grey eyes shimmer in the light cast by the moon. She smiles and pulls her hair in front of her shoulder, braiding it idly. Someone will come. Someone always does and someone always plays her game until she strikes back, killing the victim, without a moment of hesitation. It's what she does. It's her duty.

In the courtyard below, a man sits on the edge of the fountain, handling a silver sword with great affection. He runs an adoring hand over the glinting blade, and fingers the handle with a gentle touch. He's ready to play his part, he's taking the stage, props in hand, heart hammering excitedly in his chest. He can smell blood in the air, fresh blood, just waiting to be spilled.

The woman in the window watches him, she runs her tongue over her lips and chuckles to herself, yes, someone is coming, she can feel it. She slides menacingly from the window ledge and walks across the floor, her footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The cold moon slithers through the window to stretch across the floor, following her as she goes. She vanishes into the shadows. Below, the courtyard is empty, the fountain gurgles pleasantly, laughing at the night while snow began to fall lightly.

* * *

A sheen of snow covered the road as the Impala started to fishtail in the slush. Dean cursed and jerked the wheel, trying desperately to get the car to behave. In the passenger seat Sam's eyes were wide as he clung to the dashboard, not knowing what to expect.

"Sammy, hang on!" Dean shouted as he lost all control of the car. The Impala groaned and struck the dip at the edge of the road.

"Damn it!" Dean shouted as the car flipped and became airborne, throwing the brothers harshly against the windows.

The Impala skipped a snow bank and flew into a thick grove of trees sending both the brothers into complete and total darkness that had nothing to do with the black night around them. The snow fell faster, quilting over the underside of the now-silent Impala, while inside neither passenger moved.

* * *

Dean winced as a chill racked through his body, followed by another, then another and before he knew it he was caught in the middle of an all-out fit of shivering that wouldn't subside. He groaned as he realized that every part of his body hurt and it was near impossible to move. He looked blearily around, slamming his eyes shut against the dizziness that overtook him and his mind was hazed with confusion.

He found himself slithering out the shattered front windshield of the Impala and collapsing in a heap in the drifted snow that turned crimson from the blood that flowed from his head injury. He choked back nausea and struggled to his hands and knees, looking around the dark forest that was trapped in the middle of a raging blizzard. He squinted through the trees and saw a soft yellow light shining through the falling snow. He was drawn toward it, pulling himself weakly along through the drifted snow, his body shaking from the cold. Then he stopped. He felt that there was something that he should do, something was missing, but he could not wrap his mind around what it was, he couldn't even wrap his mind around his own name. He shook his head in an attempt to clear the haziness, but was unable to do so.

An awful moaning sound surrounded him and he looked wildly around, only to see a bright yellow streak of light rush at him from the trees. Within the streak of a light, a face screamed and shot toward the oldest Winchester, twirling threateningly around him and driving into his back. It lifted him to his feet and gave him a bout of strength that was quickly used to run blindly through the trees, ignoring the branches when they whipped him in the face, causing angry red scratches and scrapes to appear on his winter-chilled cheeks.

He ran until his strength left him and he collapsed in the snow, panting and choking back bile that was rising in his throat. He lifted his head, dark blood running into his eyes from the open wound on his forehead and he was greeted by the sight of a large, aged castle watching him blankly.

The door slowly opened and Dean struggled toward it, it was dry and hopefully warm and at the moment that was all that mattered to him. He staggered to his feet and stumbled through the doors, only to fall flat once he got inside. The door slammed behind him and his eyes dropped closed and did not open again.

* * *

"Dean?" Sam spoke weakly, his voice was raspy and soft and could barely be heard amidst the raging wind outside the crippled Impala.

Sam forced his heavy eyes to open and gaze dazedly around the car's snow-covered interior. Dean was going to have a fit when he saw how much damage the Impala had sustained. Sam looked around again, where was Dean? There was no sign of his older brother, and in the dark there was no visible indication that another person had even been in the car.

"Dean?" Sam called again, reaching for his seatbelt, only to find that it had snapped and he had been thrown in a heap against the roof, which had now become the floor of the car. He reached over to the driver's side and his bare fingers brushed against another broken seatbelt, his brother's. But his hand did not touch the other man that should have been present.

"Dean!" Sam called again, hoping that his voice would carry above the howling wind and reach his brother's ears. It didn't.

With an uncomfortable groan, Sam crept out through the broken windshield and staggered to his feet, grabbing for the car when his balance faltered. The snow reached past his knees and it was close to midnight on a late December evening. His breath fogged in the air and rose towards the sky as he rubbed his hands together ferociously in an attempt to banish the burning numbness that was seeping into his fingertips. He shoved his hands in his pockets and scanned the area for signs of his brother. If Dean _had_ left a trail, the snow had covered it by now and left Sam without a lead to follow.

"Dean!" Sam tried again. His voice was lost amidst the howling wind as it passed through the trees.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Dean woke to the sound of a fire crackling in a nearby fireplace and found himself stripped and sprawled out on a large bed beneath a thick blanket that was tugged up to his chin. He cast his eyes around the room and caught sight of himself in a mirror against the far wall. The wound on his forehead had stopped bleeding, yet it had left an ugly bruise and dark blood crusted to his skin. A faint stain of a blood trail rolled down the right side of his face and through his eyebrow while his cheeks were littered with bright red scratches and scrapes from his run through the forest.

He tried to sit up and hissed as pain blossomed from his ribs and snatched his breath away. The blanket fell away from his bare chest to show a dark series of diagonal bruising stretching across his chest to his left shoulder. The room dipped and spun around him and his stomach flipped. He groaned miserably and rolled gently onto his side where he curled in on himself and breathed through the nausea that had claimed him. Eyes closed, he listened to the snapping flames, trying to figure out anything about himself which had as of yet refused to come.

Soft, quick footfalls rushed down the hall outside of his room, accompanied by the gentle sound of a woman humming. He opened his eyes and slowly rolled to face the door as it opened and a woman with long dark hair came in, a gentle smile resting on her soft lips.

"Ah, I see you're awake Lord McMorrows." The woman replied, her voice was seductive and sympathetic as she watched the young man curled up on the bed, eyeing her curiously.

"McMorrows?" Dean spoke, his voice was raspy.

"Yes, do you not remember your own name?" The woman asked quizzically.

"No, I'm afraid I don't remember much right now." Dean sighed and cradled his churning stomach.

"Do you feel ill?" The woman questioned.

Dean only nodded, burying his face in the fluffy pillow under his head as the room spun once again.

"Oh dear. Perhaps I should go and retrieve Doctor Grayson. He told me to inform him as to when you woke. I'll be back shortly." The woman stated and turned, her blue dress billowing behind her elegantly.

Dean said nothing, just fought off the urge to vomit as bile started to creep up the back of his throat. He closed his eyes and waited for the woman to return with the doctor and found himself beginning to drift off to sleep. As he sunk under, a series of images flashed through his mind, a tall, dark haired man, younger than him and a single word came to him. Sam.

* * *

"Damn it Dean, where the hell are you?" Sam called into the blizzard that had him surrounded.

The youngest Winchester had been trekking through the snow for nearly three hours, searching for any sign of his brother. He'd passed the Impala twice on his search, stumbled across a heavily wooded path, then lost track of it again and now he was struggling through snow past his knees, while the wind assaulted him madly and every limb had gone numb from the cold. His cheeks and ears were on fire, the skin on his face felt tight and he was shivering uncontrollably. If he didn't find someplace warm and dry soon he'd fall victim to a very nasty case of frostbite and possibly hypothermia as well. Still he trudged on, the will to find his brother so strong that it caused him to ignore his ailments for the time being.

The wind howled at him and he squinted into the night, looking for any possible sign of Dean. But it was impossible to see anything in the thick darkness that covered the forest. His head hurt and his ribs hurt from where the belt had dug into him and his cell phone had no signal. He'd checked it a short time ago, hoping to call Dean and possibly locate him, but that plan had vanished when he realized that he had less than one signal bar on his phone and the battery was running dangerously low.

Sam tugged the collar of his jacket up higher and buried his nose in what little warmth it provided before continuing on. He had to find shelter, he could feel his body temperature dropping lower by the second. He had to find Dean and they had to get to some shelter before they both froze to death in the way below freezing winter night.

* * *

"William, can you open your eyes for me?" Came the voice of a middle-aged man.

Dean groaned and slid his eyes open to greet the stranger's voice.

"Very good. Now, Adrienne tells me that you do not recall anything?" The man, who Dean assumed to be the doctor, replied curiously.

Dean shook his head in the negative, not wanting to speak for fear that he would be unable to fight the steadily increasing nausea that had swarmed over him. He drew a shuddering breath and released it in an attempt to calm his stomach.

"You are feeling unwell." The doctor replied, making more of a statement than asking a question.

Dean nodded pulled his knees to his chest and for a brief moment he had control of the nausea, but that didn't last long as the feeling returned with a vengeance and Dean felt his stomach muscles tightening as his mouth started to water. He clenched his teeth, willing the feeling back, yet he was not strong enough to do so and found himself lurching for the side of the bed as his body heaved uncontrollably. The doctor leapt back just in time and waited Dean's illness out, his eyes examining the young man closely.

"Oh god." Dean muttered as his body heaved again, claiming what little energy he had been using to ward off the nausea and redirecting it.

"Is he going to be alright?" Came a woman's startled voice from the doorway.

"He should be. Would you go and bring a wash basin, filled with cool water and a cloth? I'll get him cleaned up when he finishes. Oh and you may want to call one of your servants to clean this mess." Doctor Grayson replied gently.

"Yes, yes of course." The dark haired woman from before answered and turned away.

"Oh, excuse me Geoffrey." The woman stated as she stepped around a man about Dean's age with blonde hair and icy blue eyes. The man had a sword belted around his waist and he leaned against the doorway, watching Dean and the doctor.

Dean coughed, his body heaving uncomfortably and tears shimmered in his eyes as he tried to fight the painful, dry heaves that had now taken over.

"Easy William, just breathe. Slow, deep breaths." The doctor encouraged, but Dean continued to gag.

"Damn it." Dean whimpered, his arm cradled around his stomach and ribs as they pulled painfully with every heave.

The man in the doorway sauntered casually into the room and watched Dean fight for control as doctor Grayson supported the ill man's weight. A sympathetic smile drifted across his handsome features and he stepped around the doctor to stand quietly over Dean, waiting for a cessation of the man's suffering.

Finally the heaving subsided and Dean was left panting and weak. He sagged forward, nearly toppling from the bed, yet the doctor and the blonde man stepped in to gently ease him back against the pillows and the blankets were once again pulled up around the Dean's chest.

"Here's the water, doctor." The woman replied, hurrying through the door, the hem of her gown floating behind her.

"Thank you Adrienne." The doctor said and gently accepted the basin. He reached into the cool water and pulled out a cloth, which he rung out and brushed across Dean's cheeks and forehead, clearing away the bloodstains from the head injury to reveal pale skin beneath.

"Is he going to be alright?" The blonde questioned sincerely, his eyes wandering to the now dozing Dean.

"He took a nasty bump, but I suspect he will feel better when he next wakes." The middle-aged man spoke softly.

"What happened to him?" The blonde, who had been identified as Geoffrey, asked.

"Thrown from his horse while hunting. Lord Rockwell found him and brought him back." Adrienne replied gently.

"I bet John was none to happy about that, he doesn't exactly care for William." Geoffrey replied.

"He coped with it rather well, and he even seemed concerned for Lord McMorrows' health." Adrienne stated protectively.

"Well now, that _is_ a change." Geoffrey stated.

"We should go and leave William to rest." Doctor Grayson replied, moving aside when a woman came to clean the floor.

There were nods of agreement from the dark-haired woman and the blonde man as they led the way out of the room, followed by the doctor and the servant about ten minutes later.

* * *

Sam collapsed in the snow, his hands forced forward in an attempt to break his fall, yet it didn't do much good when he sunk further into the drifts, the snow working it's way down his shirt and soaking through his already drenched clothing. He lay, motionless in the white banks, willing himself to move, but he was too cold and exhausted to do so.

The chill bit into his already burning limbs and his hands and feet stung in protest. He knew he had to keep moving. He struggled to his feet and brought a hand up in front of his face to block out the snowflakes that felt like needles on his skin. Through the trees a soft yellow light beckoned to him and he felt a presence behind him. Turning, he saw a streak of white with a face buried in its depths, making its way straight for him. He yelped and stumbled toward the yellow light, as the face wailed behind him and pushed him onward through the forest.

* * *

Dean awoke once more and for the first time since arriving, felt nearly human again. His stomach seemed settled enough, although it did remind him of his injuries with a slight flip, but it was nothing he couldn't gain control over. His head still pounded painfully as did his mid-section, but he felt that he could deal with that pain. Slowly and easily, he pushed the blankets back, noticing that he was in need of clothing. His eyes scanned the room before he sat up and he saw an outfit draped across the back of a chair at the foot of the bed. He sighed and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress before easing himself to his feet, staggering back as his balance failed him. Still, he slowly worked his way to the bottom of the bed and reached for the clothes. He tugged on a pair of underwear, followed by a pair of simple, black pants and a large, white shirt with long sleeves.

"They are not your normal clothes, but those are being dried, washed and repaired so these will have to do until the maintenance is completed." Came Adrienne's voice from the door.

Dean turned and smiled at the woman, before tugging the hem of the shirt down so it hit at his hips.

"They're fine." Dean stated.

"I brought you this. You always said your outfit was not complete until you had your sword." Adrienne smirked playfully and handed a black belt to him, followed by a silver sword.

"Thanks." Dean stated and accepted the items. He pulled the belt around his waist and shoved the sword in beneath it before looking down to his bare feet.

"I uh..." Dean stated.

"Your boots, of course, they're on the other side of the bed. Let me get them for you." Adrienne stated and hurried to the opposite side of the bed, coming back around with a pair of shining black boots that went to the knee, in her hands. She knelt in front of the oldest Winchester and gently placed his feet in the boots, one at a time, taking care to be sure that he had an excellent view of her cleavage in the low-neck dress that she had on. She smirked slyly at him and got to her feet, brushing against him and planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

Dean was taken aback. He jerked away from the kiss, and brought his hand to his cheek as though it had been burned.

"Oh, I am sorry, please forgive me. I forgot that you have no memories. You see, we are lovers." Adrienne smirked.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"Uh..what?" Dean stammered, confusion washing across his face.

"We are lovers." Adrienne stated.

"Oh...well then...what are we supposed to do?" Dean asked stupidly.

"There are a great number of things that we _could_ do, but doctor Grayson has advised you against over-excitement." Adrienne winked.

Dean stared at her numbly and there was commotion at the door. Dean looked beyond Adrienne to see a brown-haired man standing awkwardly just inside the room. His eye lingered longingly on Adrienne and he cleared his throat.

"Dinner is being served." The man stated and stared coldly at Dean, who shifted uncomfortably at the glance the man was giving him.

"Thank you John, we will be right down." Adrienne replied and she smiled slyly at the dark haired man in the doorway, who returned the smile with one of his own.

"Shall we?" Adrienne questioned and held out her arm for Dean to take.

"Sure." Dean stated and placed his arm gently in the crook of hers.

Adrienne led Dean out into the hallway behind the man who had come to get them and then she allowed him to lead her down an elegant staircase that descended into the main dining room. He took her hand and held it as she went down the final few steps and touched down gracefully on the floor. All those at the table stopped and stared. The man, John, who had been leading, looked back and saw Dean's actions. With obvious distaste, he turned his back on the duo following him and strode quickly over to a chair, which he sat down heavily in.

"Thank you William." Adrienne replied and gave Dean a quick peck on the cheek, to which John clearly did not approve of.

"You are feeling better, I suspect?" John asked, his voice dry and emotionless.

"Yes, thank you." Dean replied and footfalls approached from another room. Dean turned to see Geoffrey walking through a large archway. The blonde smiled and nodded at Dean as he passed on his way to a seat.

"I hope I'm not late." Geoffrey replied.

"No, you are just in time." John answered dryly.

"Good then. It's grand to see you up and about Lord McMorrows, you are feeling better?" Geoffrey questioned.

"Yeah, more or less." Dean answered.

* * *

Sam ran blindly through the forest, hurrying toward the warm yellow glow. How long had he been running? He didn't know, it'd been a while, that was for sure. His breath burned in his chest, stinging with every gulp of the icy air that he took. He coughed, his breath catching violently and ripping through his lungs. His eyes watered from the wind that was bombarding him and the snow flakes felt like hot needles driving into his skin, tiny knives being shoved through him and wrenched painfully free. 

He stumbled and went down, tripping over a hidden obstacle. The snow swallowed him and stung his exposed skin. He struggled to get up, trying to free himself from its grasps. He turned onto his back and saw the sharp light hovering threateningly above him. It screamed, he yelled and flailed his way shakily to his feet and kept running until he saw a large castle sitting at the base of some mountains. The windows were alight with a soft yellow glow and Sam could almost feel the warmth that swam inside of the building as he stumbled to the front door, shuddering, teeth chattering.

He struggled up the steps and knocked weakly.

"Hey! Is there anyone in there?" Sam called.

There was the sound of a bolt being thrown back from the inside and the door opened to reveal an older man who watched him through suspicious brown eyes. Sam took a step forward and collapsed, the man who had opened the door caught him and pulled him roughly inside. Sam leaned against the man and blinked numbly in the shimmering light of the grand entrance. He was shivering wildly and panting tiredly. The servant who had brought the young man in could hear him wheezing, despite the commotion that was going on all around them.

"My brother...I have a brother...I can't find him..did he...by chance, come here? Have you seen him? Has...has Dean been here? Is he here?" Sam gasped, his eyes looking up at the servant pleadingly.

Sam felt himself being dragged through the castle and led towards the sound of joyful conversation. He raised his bent head and his expression froze when he saw the table in the centre of the room that he had been pulled into.

* * *

"Mistress Adrienne. I found this peasant outside the door." The servant replied. 

"That's him! Dean! Man, I thought I lost you." Sam replied, eyes resting on Dean, who was seated next to Doctor Grayson.

Dean watched the man that the servant had brought in through confused eyes. Something tugged at the back of his mind, something familiar, but familiar in a strange, disjointed kind of way. He didn't know this stranger. Why then, was the man claiming to know him?

"I'm sorry?" Dean asked, casting his eyes around the table.

"Should I know this man?" Dean questioned, searching the faces of those around the table for answers.

"No, I do not recognize him." Adrienne replied.

"Dean? C'mon man, it's me, Sam. Dean, I'm your brother." Sam replied, still shivering.

Dean watched Sam blankly, trying to place the face of the younger man, but every time he came away empty. He didn't know this man.

"Dean? Don't you recognize me?" Sam asked desperately, his concern for his older brother throbbing through every part of his body, making his mind spin a mile a second and causing his stomach to tighten.

"I'm sorry, but I don't. Why? Should I?" Dean questioned helplessly.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Sam gaped at his brother, his knees buckling beneath him. Dean didn't know him? How could Dean not know him? Dean had always been there for him, Dean protected him. Dean would do anything for him. How could he not know his own brother? Sam was stung by the sheer hurt of Dean's words. A hurt that Dean wasn't even aware he was inflicting.

Before he knew it, he was hitting the ground hard on his knees, the exhaustion of running and the cold finally taking its toll as the adrenaline drained from his body. He was unaware of the hot tears that stung his eyes and threatened to spill onto his frost-chilled cheeks. Dean didn't know him..._Dean_ didn't _know_ him.

Sam looked up to see Dean starting to rise from his chair, but he was stopped by Adrienne.

"What are you doing, William?" The woman asked.

"He needs help. You're not just going to leave him like that are you?" Dean asked.

"He's just a peasant. You do not even know him." Adrienne spoke.

"Whether I know him or not, he still needs help." Dean stated.

"Oh William, you always _were_ soft-hearted." With a flick of her wrist, the servant gathered the fallen Sam, yanked him violently to his feet and drug him out of sight.

"Where is he taking that man?" Dean questioned.

"You needn't worry about that. He will be fine." Adrienne replied.

Dean looked like he wanted to follow the man who had just been pulled away, but something stopped him. As long as the man was going to be okay, that was all that mattered. Dean returned to his seat and finished his meal, not saying another word.

* * *

Sam recoiled when he received a painful yank on his wrist, followed by pinching as metal cuffs were closed on them. He was shoved violently against the cold brick wall behind him and pressed into it while the other wrist was chained as well. 

"What the hell is this?" Sam grimaced.

"The dungeon." The man who had forced Sam into chains replied casually.

"What? Why?" Sam hissed.

"You were falsely claiming to be related to royalty. That is a crime." The man snarled.

"Royalty? Dean? Dean's not royalty. That man is my brother, I swear it!" Sam scoffed.

A harsh punch landed on his jaw and Sam spat blood onto the floor before looking up angrily at the man who had hit him. The man smiled cruelly at the youngest Winchester and turned away.

"He _is_ my brother." Sam whispered.

The man turned on him and hit him a second time, then a third and a fourth until Sam's head dropped to his chest in the bliss of unconsciousness.

* * *

"Why did that man call me Dean?" The oldest Winchester asked Adrienne as she led him into a large living room. 

"Did he?" Adrienne questioned.

"Yes."

"He must have you mixed up with another. I do not know anyone by the name of Dean in this kingdom. Possibly in another, but none that I am aware of." Adrienne spoke.

"He is a peasant? From this town?" Dean questioned, suddenly curious about the stranger.

"I do not know, I have never seen him before, but we have people coming and going daily. He may have just arrived."

"Where was he taken? I'd like to speak with him."

"I'm afraid that is impossible, he was released from our care shortly after his arrival. He was perfectly well."

"He didn't look well. You sent him back out into that?" Dean asked, motioning toward the window where the snow was still blowing.

"Somebody came to get him and take him back to his home. William, he was fine, perfectly healthy. Why are you so interested in him?" Adrienne asked curiously.

"I don't know, something about him seemed familiar."

"Do you know him?"

"Yes." Dean spoke quickly, almost by instinct. "I mean no, of course not, well I could have, but I don't remember." Dean stated, short seconds after his initial reaction. He winced as his head started to throb and drew in a shuddering breath.

"Adrienne, I'm not feeling very well, I think I'm just going to go to bed." Dean replied, as the room started to spin around him. He staggered back, strength betraying him and he wobbled on his feet. Adrienne reached and grabbed his arm to steady him.

"Shall I get doctor Grayson? You look pale." Adrienne spoke.

"No, I'll just go to my room and I'll see you in the morning." Dean replied, feeling a sudden urge to just get away from the mysterious, dark-haired woman.

"Very well, would you like me to walk you there?" The woman asked.

"No, it's okay, I'll be fine. Good night Adrienne." Dean stated and turned to make his way slowly to his room. Adrienne watched him depart through cold eyes, while a hard, angry expression rested on her pale face.

* * *

The new day had broken, cold and snow-drifted from the previous night's storm. The ground glistened with freshly fallen snow while the sun beamed down through patchy clouds against a blue sky. A rabbit scampered over the snow, leaving small tracks behind it as it went. In a grove of trees, partially covered in snow, the sleek, black paint of the wrecked Impala caught the light and glistened from under the snow that had fallen around it. The car's underside faced the sky, also blanketed in snow. If a car was passing by, the Impala would have been near impossible to see unless a person was looking for it specifically. 

Through the trees, the castle stood darkly against the white of the snow and within it's walls, the Winchesters were being held captive, one knowingly, the other unsuspecting. Adrienne looked out one of the top-most windows and down into the courtyard where a fountain stood, ice gleamed on the stone, and a dark-haired man leaned against it, polishing the blade of a silver sword. He held the item up and it caught the light. He smiled in satisfaction and slid the sword back into the holster at his hip.

He stepped back and looked up to see Adrienne watching him through longing eyes, smiling slyly. The man returned the look, but it quickly fell away as he looked to the front entrance of the castle and saw Dean coming out to stand on the steps so that he could survey the grounds himself.

"Good morning, John." Dean spoke happily.

"William." John returned, his hand slipping to the sword at his belt.

Dean pointed to the weapon. "That's a nice piece of equipment. Well taken care of."

"Thank you." John replied, his hand still hovering around the sword.

"So, I understand that you are the one who found me after the accident and brought me back here. I want to thank you for that." Dean stated, trying to make conversation. He felt awkward and so it was difficult to talk with John, but he didn't know why.

"You are welcome." The dark-haired man spoke shortly.

"So, uh, how long have you lived here? It's a nice place." Dean stated.

"As long as you have." John returned.

"And how long would that be? I don't exactly remember." Dean joked.

"Oh yes, you have no memory. I had forgotten. We have lived here for nearly three years. We moved over from separate kingdoms after King Everett passed. King Everett sent for us to help Adrienne run the town. She is not exactly good at making decisions." John stated curtly.

"What town? The only thing I see is the castle."

"The town is just through those trees and over the ridge, the palace can be easily seen from town square." John replied.

"Why don't you take him down? The path was broken early this morning." Adrienne replied from the front stairs.

John shifted uncomfortably, but stopped when Dean turned to him.

"I can do that, if you feel up to it Lord McMorrows." John answered.

"Yeah, absolutely." Dean answered.

"Perhaps a visit to the town will help your memory. You always were a favorite of the residents." Adrienne spoke with a smile.

"Yeah, maybe." Dean said and searched the grounds for the path that led to the village. He found it, slinking through the forest and sure enough, it was cleared. And neatly packed down as though it had already been walked on.

"We will go to the barn and get the horses, but first, you may want to put a cloak on, it will be a cold ride." John replied.

"Oh, okay." Dean responded.

"Come on William, I'll get your cloak for you and John will send two servants to get the horses." Adrienne replied and led Dean back into the castle while John stared coldly after him.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

"This isn't the same path." Dean replied curiously.

"No, but we are almost back to the castle." John answered simply. He pulled his horse to a stop.

"Get off." John stated.

"Excuse me?"

"Get off, I want to talk with you."

Dean eyed the man suspiciously. "And we couldn't talk once we get _back_ to the castle? You said it isn't far."

"No it is not, but it is better to talk here, now get off...please." John snarled cooly.

Dean hesitated, but John pulled him roughly from the horse. He landed painfully in the drifted snow and found John pinning him hard against the ground.

"Hey! What's this all about?" Dean questioned.

"Adrienne is _mine_!" John hissed.

Dean was stunned into silence as John pelted him with a swift punch that re-opened the healing cut on his forehead. Dean cursed and pushed the man off of him before rolling away and staggering back to his feet.

"What the hell?" Dean exclaimed, wiping the blood from his face.

"Adrienne. Stay away from her. She is my property."

"Property? She hardly seems to be your _property_, she doesn't even associate with you. What gives you the right to talk about her like that anyway? She's not some prize to be claimed, she's a human being!" Dean replied quickly, readying himself for another punch.

John glared at Dean through icy eyes and approached the oldest Winchester threateningly. He lunged at him and Dean found himself sprawled in the snow beneath the fuming man who had lured him here once again. John reached for his sword. Dean's eyes widened and he struggled back, only to be stopped by John's weapon at his throat.

"Woah, hey, just put that thing away!" Dean replied and John moved the sword up and slid it quickly along the oldest brother's cheek, slicing a long, red line in the skin.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cursed and brought his fingertips up to nurse the new wound.

"William? John? What are you doing?" Asked a young woman coming through the trees after hearing the commotion from the front yard of the castle. The woman was blonde, with startling grey eyes that widened as she stepped through the brush to see the men, a shawl clutched tightly around her to block out the chill.

"Lord McMorrows! Lord Rockwell! What happened?" The woman gasped and John's demeanor changed completely. He grabbed Dean by the arm and lifted him easily to his feet.

"William's horse threw him off. I was simply helping him up." John lied smoothly.

"What? That's not true, you attacked me!" Dean argued and glared angrily into John's face.

"You are mistaken, perhaps you re-injured your head when you fell." John stated.

"If I did, it's _your_ fault, _you _pulled me off of the horse." Dean hissed.

John laughed and gave Dean a pat on the shoulder. "Come, Lord McMorrows let us get you back to the castle so the good doctor can examine those nasty cuts. Sophie, would you please take William's horse and lead her back to the stables? William will ride with me." John stated.

"Yes, of course." Sophie stated and gently took the horse's lead and escorted the animal back through the snow.

* * *

Sam pulled on the cuffs that held him against the wall and cursed when they refused to break. He was slowly drying from his escapade through the storm, but it had already taken its toll on him and he could feel his lungs slowly filling as illness loomed over him like a dark cloud. He coughed and it was deep and chesty, tearing through him like knives and making his eyes water. 

He cleared his throat and shook his head to rid it of the fuzziness that had been slowly creeping in on him. He felt feverish and his hands were red and raw from the cold that swept through the dungeon. He glanced wearily around and saw the culprit, a barred window was set in the wall opposite to him and there was no protection over it to keep the snow and wind from blowing in.

He shivered and coughed again, spitting on the floor that which he had coughed up from his lungs. He licked his chapped and cracked lips and was seized by another fit of coughing which left him weak and dizzy.

"Damn it." He whispered hoarsely.

There was the sound of commotion coming from outside the door and Sam turned his head to see the large wooden entrance open and a man, with a tray of what looked like dry bread and water as well as something else that Sam didn't even recognize as food, came in and made his way over to where the youngest Winchester was being held.

He released Sam from his restraints and grabbed the young man by the scruff of the neck to keep him under control. Before Sam knew what was happening his hands were being tied in front of him and he was forced to sit on the cold stone of the floor, the tray was placed loudly in front of him.

"Now eat." The guard hissed.

"No thanks." Sam responded in disgust.

"Eat!" The guard yelled and when Sam resisted his face was forced forward so it was hovering only inches away from the plate.

Sam struggled against the power of the guard, but failed. He was yanked back again and the dry bread was shoved into his hand, which was shoved up to his lips.

"Eat it." The guard snarled.

"I'm not hungry." Sam replied, his voice no more than a raspy groan in his throat. He coughed again and spat once more. The guard watched him through blank eyes.

The guard shook his head and got to his feet before he kicked the tray of food at Sam and yanked the ill man up to chain him back to the wall.

"That is unfortunate." The guard replied gruffly and tightened the restraints.

Sam's chest hurt and his breath was gasping as he coughed yet again and leaned his head back against the cool wall of the dungeon, the fever raging madly through his body.

* * *

"You are fortunate that you did not do more damage than those few cuts and bruises." Doctor Grayson replied simply. 

"I wouldn't have done _any_ damage if that bastard hadn't pulled me off the damn horse!" Dean swore.

"Lord Rockwell claims that your horse threw you off."

"Well Lord Rockwell's a lying son of a bitch!" Dean exclaimed.

"I would advise you to bite your tongue Lord McMorrows." Came a voice from nearby.

Dean and the doctor turned to see Sophie leaning casually against the railing of the stairway.

"Excuse me?" Dean asked.

"Your tongue, you should bite it, Lord Rockwell is known to have a hot temper. There is no telling what he will do to you if he overhears your words." Sophie stated.

"I'll show him a hot temper, the bastard!" Dean hissed.

"Lord McMorrows!" Adrienne spoke suddenly, having appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"What? The jerk pulled me off and hit me!" Dean shouted. He was suddenly overcome by a wave of pain that bloomed inside his head and two simple words flashed through his mind:

'_Jerk!' 'Bitch!'_ And then there was nothing.

"Ahh, what the hell?" Dean groaned as he came reeling out of his thoughts, only to find himself on his back on the floor, with the three people who were present staring down at him worriedly. The doctor had a hand under his head and the other on his neck, feeling for a pulse.

"You fainted. I _had_ warned you about over-excitement." Doctor Gayson stated, still supporting the oldest Winchester's head.

"Why won't you believe me?" Dean hissed, his mind going right back to the argument that had been electrifying the air before he passed out. He quickly sat up, ignoring the tilt of the room.

"There has been bad blood between you and Lord Rockwell ever since you came to us three years ago." Adrienne stated.

"I can see why. The bastard has some serious social short-comings!"

"Come now, John is not as horrible as you are making him out to be." Adrienne argued.

"You're defending him? What the hell for? He talks about you like you're a trophy! According to Lord Rockwell, you _belong_ to _him_!" Dean hissed.

"But I belong to nobody, and John would not make such a statement. He is a good man, Lord McMorrows! It is a pity that you cannot see that!" Adrienne exclaimed.

"The only thing I _saw_ was his damn sword coming at my throat!" Dean argued.

"William, you mustn't get over-excited." The doctor soothed gently.

"Damn it!" Dean shouted and tore to his feet, pushing past the people that had gathered around him.

"William! William come back! Where are you going?" Doctor Grayson called after him.

"Out!" Dean shouted and continued his retreat.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Dean sat fuming, on the bed in his room, listening to the heated conversation going on downstairs that floated up and echoed around him.

"William?" Came a voice from the door and Dean looked up to see Adrienne watching him through gentle eyes.

"Can I come in?" She asked.

"Come in if you want." Dean huffed.

Adrienne smiled and came to sit on the bed next to Dean, who eyed her wearily, still angry over the lack of belief in his words from earlier. She scooted closer to Dean, who scooted away. She pursued and before he knew what was happening, she had him in her arms, with her lips pressed against his. He squirmed, trying to get away from the discomfort, but found himself unable to do so. The woman was surprisingly strong. She pushed Dean back against the mattress and crawled on top of him, a smile breaking across her face as she continued to kiss the oldest brother.

"John's just jealous. He wants me, but I'm all yours." Adrienne whispered suggestively in Dean's ear.

Dean pulled away and gazed into the woman's eyes.

"Adrienne don't, please." Dean replied.

"You've never complained about it before." Adrienne asked in confusion.

"I don't remember anything from before." Dean corrected.

"Oh, yes that's right. Forgive me for being so forward, but that is generally the way you like it."

Dean started to speak, but Adrienne put a finger to his lips to silence him.

"Let us go for a walk around the castle instead, shall we? I do hope you regain your memory soon. I miss you." Adrienne stated and slid herself gently off of Dean. She knelt over him and kissed him again before helping him from the bed..

Neither Dean nor Adrienne noticed the dark shadow of John standing in the doorway, for he retreated quickly when he saw Adrienne backing off and leaning forward to kiss Dean yet again.

* * *

"Are you hungry, William?" Adrienne asked, leaning into him to whisper in his ear. 

"Yes." Dean stated simply, inhaling her scent.

"Good, I am as well. Shall we go and see if there is anything prepared?" The woman asked and kissed Dean on the cheek.

Dean nodded. "I'll be right down. You go ahead of me."

"As you wish. Do not be too long." Adrienne stated adoringly and vanished down the stairs.

* * *

"What were you doing with him?" John hissed as Adrienne came down the stairs. 

Adrienne smiled and spun to face him.

"We were talking." Adrienne replied.

"You kissed him."

"Yes, I did and while it was enjoyable, you are a much better kisser than he." Adrienne replied and pulled John's face into hers where they locked in an embrace and pressed their lips together.

"Is that so?" John questioned with a grin, pulling away from Adrienne.

"It is." She leaned in to kiss him again.

"And what is the verdict?" John questioned.

"The verdict is he's just jealous, he wants me, but I'm all yours. He may have lost his memory, but the lust is clearly seen in his eyes." Adrienne smiled and leaned her head on John's shoulder.

"And what should be done about that?" John questioned.

"Well, someone must knock it out of him and you, Lord Rockwell, may be just the person to do it."

"How?"

"I will leave you to decide the means, surely you must have some idea in that beautiful mind of yours."

"I have plenty." John grinned and pulled Adrienne against him to kiss the top of her head a inhale her scent like an addict.

* * *

Lord Rockwell moved stealthily to the alchemist's laboratory. The old man sat in a chair near a fireplace with a book open on his lap. He looked up when John entered. 

"Lord Rockwell, to what do I owe this pleasure?" The alchemist questioned.

"I need you to make me something, a poison." John stated.

"Whatever for?" The alchemist asked, startled.

"I have my reasons." John stated.

"I fear that I cannot do that, there is no telling what you will do with such a concoction." The alchemist replied calmly.

John lunged at the man, who had by now taken his feet, and forced him against a wall, sword pressed against his throat.

"Make me a poison, old man!" Lord Rockwell hissed.

"I will not!" The older man shouted.

"Make me a poison! I know where your daughter lives, I could very easily go in and slaughter her! And I would take you with me so that you could see her die a slow, painful death!"

"You wouldn't!"

"I would and I will if you do not do as I say!"

"You are a cruel man." The alchemist stated stonily.

"Perhaps you would like to see just how cruel I am. Make me a poison or your daughter dies and you watch!"

The alchemist hesitated, but not for long. His child's life meant so much to him and now his daughter was pregnant and going to have a child of her own. He did not wish to lose either of them and when he looked into Lord Rockwell's eyes he knew that the man would carry out his threat. John was not one to make empty promises.

"Very well, just don't hurt my daughter. Now, release me and you can tell me what kind of a poison you would like me to create for you."

**A/N: Well, there's the next chapter, I hope you are enjoying this so far, I know this is a different story than what I normally write, but I thought I'd give it a try nonetheless. Let me know what you're thinking, I always look forward to reading your opinions!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: What does one do when snowed in? Write about Supernatural of course! That means that this chapter is a bit longer than usual, but I'm hoping none of you will mind! Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 7**

"There you are Lord McMorrows, I've been looking for you." Lord Rockwell stated coming up behind Dean.

The oldest brother turned around.

"Lord Rockwell, come to throw me off another horse? Or are you just going to toss me over the balcony this time? Y'know, there's a very nice balcony attached to my room that looks out into the courtyard. I bet if you tossed me off that you wouldn't have to worry about me making a pass at Adrienne." Dean scoffed rudely.

"Come now William, I simply came to offer my apologies. What happened earlier was a horrible misunderstanding and I am sorry." Lord Rockwell replied.

Dean glanced around the ballroom, his eyes passing over the several people who were present.

"Putting on a show for the locals? Or just trying to impress Adrienne with your outstanding manners?" Dean questioned, nodding to the dark haired woman watching the duo from the window ledge across the room.

"I'm merely trying to apologize for my rash behaviour." Lord Rockwell stated coldly, but forced a smile when he saw Adrienne watching him.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Okay you apologized, so why are you still here?" Dean snapped.

"To offer you a drink, my good man. Surely you're not going to offend me by turning me down." John replied, holding a glass out to Dean. Who eyed it suspiciously.

He smirked and shook his head before taking the other glass that John held, not trusting the man for his word.

"You doubt my sincerity?" John questioned.

"Damn right I do." Dean stated and took the other glass.

"I thought you might." John whispered under his breath, so silently that Dean didn't hear.

"What?" Dean asked, hearing only breathy murmuring.

"I said I thought you might put what happened earlier behind us so that we could move forward." John sighed and handed Dean the glass, a barely hidden smile causing the corners of his mouth to jerk.

"Don't count on it." Dean stated and took a small sip of the drink.

"Wine?" Dean questioned, the familiar taste sliding smoothly across his tongue.

"Only the best in the country side." John smiled and took a drink of his own.

"It's good." Dean stated shortly.

"I'm glad you think so." John smiled and his eyes drifted to the glass that the oldest brother held.

* * *

"William! I'm sorry to have to pull you away, but there's something I must speak to you about." Geoffrey replied excitedly as he hurried over to pull Dean away from Lord Rockwell.

Dean nodded and turned to John. "If you'll excuse me, Lord Rockwell." Dean replied and quickly followed Geoffrey away, taking the final sip of his wine as he went before he placed the glass on the nearest table as they walked by it.

"Of course." John stated simply and watched them go.

"Thanks for that." Dean replied, jerking his head back to where John was now approaching Adrienne.

"Of course. You looked rather annoyed, but there really _is_ something I need to tell you. Come with me, there is something you should see." Geoffrey replied and pulled Dean down a steep stairwell and into a long, dark hallway before leading him down a second hallway and through a door. On the other side of the door, the hallway that stretched out before them smelled of smoke and burnt flesh.

Dean covered his mouth and nose, coughing through the thick smell that made his eyes water.

"What the hell is this place?" Dean asked.

The oldest Winchester's foot caught on something beneath him and he stumbled sideways into a wall. The hand that he had put out to keep himself from falling slipped and Geoffrey reached for him to keep him upright. Dean lifted his hand to see it coated in soot.

"That's just nasty. What'd I trip over anyway?" Dean mumbled and idly wiped the soiled hand on his pants.

Both men looked back to see a skull, covered in soot watching them through blank eyes. Dean's eyes widened, yet he didn't feel afraid, he was more disgusted. He turned expectantly to Geoffrey who seemed slightly more rattled than Dean, but not entirely surprised.

"This is where they bring prisoners for execution." Geoffrey spoke somberly.

"They burn them alive?" Dean asked, Pain blossomed in his head behind his eyes and he found himself taking part in a strange scene as it played out in his head.

_Smoke filled his eyes and made them water. He could hear the crackling of flames coming from somewhere close and he could feel the heat from a fire. The sound of a man shouting drew his attention._

"_Mary?" Called the voice in a panic._

_He tossed the blankets of the bed he was in back and placed his feet on the floor, which was startlingly hot to the touch. He looked down to his bare feet and wiggled his toes uncomfortably against the heat. He coughed as he drew a breath, tendrils of smoke slipping through his lips and rushing down into his lungs._

"_Daddy?" He heard himself yelling. He inched his way closer to the door standing slightly ajar across the room. He turned his head and called out in alarm when he saw a grown man staring back at him, hair askew from sleep and eyes watering from the smoke. He breathed a small sigh of relief when he realized that he was simply staring at his reflection._

"_No! Mary!" Came the panicked voice that he had heard before._

_He darted the rest of the way to the door and flung it open, choking on the smoke that rushed at him. Smoke that he could now clearly see coming from a room just down the hall. He hurried toward it and was met by an older man hurrying from the room, a screaming baby held tightly in his arms. Before he knew what was going on the child was shoved into his arms._

"_Take your brother outside as fast as you can! Now Dean, go!" The man shouted and Dean felt his feet carrying himself down the nearby stairs and out the front door._

_He leaned his face into the bundle that he held in his arms and inhaled the soft scent of baby powder._

"_It's okay Sammy." He heard himself saying before turning back and seeing the older man that had given him the child rushing at him just as a loud explosion echoed from the burning house he had just come out of._

"William! William, wake up!" Geoffrey's voice came rushing through the sound of the raging fire and Dean sputtered to consciousness, finding himself sprawled on the soot-covered ground, the empty skull staring back at him from a few inches away.

"Sammy..." Dean mumbled as he fought his way back to coherence. He turned to Geoffrey.

"That peasant that came to the castle that said he knew me, didn't he say that his name was Sam?" Dean questioned oddly.

"Yes. Why?" Geoffrey spoke swiftly.

"Uh...I just. Never mind, it's probably nothing." Dean muttered, but it didn't _feel_ like nothing.

"You fainted, maybe we should get you back to Doctor Grayson." Geoffrey stated with concern.

Dean said nothing, just took the hand offered to him by the young blonde man. He ran through the scene that he had seen in his head once again, and paid no attention as Geoffrey led him back to the ballroom where Doctor Grayson came quickly to the young man and forced him to sit, instructing John to go and get a glass of water. Lord Rockwell did so and before taking the glass back, placed a few drops of the poison the alchemist had made for him in the glass, watching as it bubbled, as it had done in the wine he had given the man previously and as he carried the glass back, he wondered how long it took the poison to take effect. The alchemist hadn't said.

He got his answer as he walked back to where Dean was sitting in a chair surrounded by several people. The young man was pale and shaking, swaying gently in his chair. Doctor Grayson pulled a hand away from Dean's forehead, a confused look resting on his face as he examined the young man who seemed to be slowly recovering.

"Lord McMorrows?" John Rockwell questioned as he handed the glass to the doctor.

"I'm fine." Dean hissed at the dark haired man.

"Geoffrey, could you escort William to his room, please?" Doctor Grayson questioned as he watched Dean drink the cold water down.

"Yes, of course." Geoffrey stated and helped Dean to his feet before leading him out of the room, toward the stairs and up to the large room that Dean had been staying in.

"What were you going to show me?" Dean asked as he settled back against the pillows.

"That peasant, that came to the castle, Adrienne had him sent to the dungeon and condemned to death." Geoffrey replied slowly.

"What? Why?" Dean snapped.

"It is her nature. He is to be put to death this evening at midnight. You seemed concerned for him and he insisted on seeing you." Geoffrey replied.

"You talked to him?" Dean asked curiously, sitting up.

Geoffrey nodded. "I talk to all of the condemned. It helps the prisoner to know that not everybody in the world is as cruel as those who want him dead."

"Can you take me to him?" Dean pleaded, his mind working double time.

"That is what I was intending to do before you fainted, but I do not know if it is such a good idea, you do not look well." Geoffrey said, his voice thick with concern.

"Take me to him. Please." Dean replied quickly.

Geoffrey hesitated. Dean grabbed the man's arm. "Please?" He asked once again.

"When do you want to go?" Geoffrey gave in with a sigh.

"Right now. Look I don't feel _too_ bad, let's go." Dean stated and slowly got to his feet.

"If you think you are up to it." Geoffrey stated.

"I do. Lead the way." Dean said quickly.

* * *

Sam picked up his head from his chest and gazed blearily around the cold dungeon. He heard the wind howling outside and he could hear piano music coming from somewhere far off. It just barely floated through the halls leading to him and crept gently around doors. He wrinkled his nose as the smell of burning flesh assaulted him, something that had just been a recent development. The scent of fire and smoke had always been there, but this smell was new and it was so thick that he could nearly taste it. He gagged on it and fought off nausea as his stomach flipped slightly.

He'd heard voices earlier, but they had since vanished and gone back the way they came. Still, one of those voices had sounded eerily like Dean. He shook his head as haziness started to assault him once again. His brain just wasn't working in its fevered state. Of _course_ he'd hear Dean because right now Dean was the only thing on his mind. He wanted his brother back, not the stranger he had seen when he first arrived, he wanted his brother. That's the only thing he wanted. Well, that and to get out of the hell hole that he had been thrown into.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Geoffrey asked, looking over to the pale man walking beside him.

"Fine, how much further?" Dean asked, holding back a groan as his heart pounded painfully against his ribs. Perspiration was soaking him and running into his eyes. His breath felt forced and difficult.

"Not far. Are you quite sure you are fine? You look simply awful." Geoffrey stated, grabbing Dean's arm as the man stumbled.

"I'm fine, keep going." Dean stated. He choked on the smell of burning flesh and had to lean against the wall to keep from falling as painful hacking wreaked havoc on every muscle in his body.

"Lord McMorrows..." Geoffrey started, genuinely concerned.

"Shut up and keep walking, I'll live." Dean stated, feeling more and more anxious to see the man who he knew only as Sam.

Geoffrey hushed up quickly and pushed a door open, stepping in and dismissing the guards that stood inside.

* * *

"We're here to speak with the prisoner." Came a familiar voice that Sam instantly recognized as Geoffrey.

Last time the blonde man had spoken with him, Sam had insisted on seeing Dean, to which Geoffrey simply looked at him with confusion.

"Geoff?" Sam called.

"Sam, I have brought Lord McMorrows. You wanted to see him?" Geoffrey stated.

Sam's heart leapt into his throat.

"Yes! Yes I did! He's here? He's with you?" Sam called.

"He is." Geoffrey stated and keyed the lock to the cell with a set of keys he had forged for him in secret when he first started to talk to the condemned.

"Oh thank god. Did you tell him what I told you?" Sam asked.

"Tell me what?" Dean asked, stepping into the cell behind Geoffrey.

"Dean! Man, you have no idea how glad I am to see you!" Sam exclaimed as Geoff released him from his chains. Sam lunged at Dean and pulled him into an embrace.

"Hey, no chick flick moments." Dean replied before stepping back, not knowing where the words came from. A look of confusion shadowed his face, but a large smile broke out on Sam's lips and he ignored the comment, stepping up to hug his brother again.

"Dude, I don't even know you, don't you think you're moving a little fast?" Dean asked over Sam's shoulder and once again his face shadowed with puzzlement. He felt oddly at ease with this stranger and words just seemed to tumble from his mouth without him realizing what he was saying.

"Shut up, jerk." Sam replied.

"Bitch." Dean returned. He stumbled back again as the words sent off alarms in his head and he recalled that he had heard them before, the first time he had 'fainted.'

Sam grinned, yet his face was concerned for his brother. Suddenly he broke off in a fit of coughing that made him sway with dizziness. Dean grabbed the youngest brother and looked into his face with concern.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked.

"I'm better now." Sam said.

"Dude, you look like crap." Dean stated and shook his head. Where were these words coming from? Why did he feel so comfortable around this stranger?

"Take a look in the mirror, what have they been doing to _you_? You look like you're about to keel over." Sam replied.

"Thanks." Dean smirked and shook his head.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Oh look another snowstorm, we got a good three feet out there now, well in the woods at least (Oh the joy of Canadian winters...) So once again, it looks like I spent most of the day writing, but I'm sure none of you will complain about that. I'm perfectly happy spending the day with Sam and Dean and getting them into some trouble of the Supernatural kind! Hope you enjoy it!**

**Oh yeah, spoiler warnings for this chapter throughout seasons one and two. Only little ones though, but you have been warned!**

**CHAPTER 8**

"C'mon, let's get him out of here." Dean replied, nodding to Sam.

Geoff froze, he could lose his life for helping a prisoner escape.

"William." He started and then trailed off as his thoughts took over.

Having keys made in secret was one thing, releasing a prisoner was a whole different game which could end very badly for him. He shifted from foot to foot, attempting to figure something out. He wanted to help, really he did, but he was afraid to do so. He sighed and his eyes passed from one man to the other, both looking pale and sick, one from the cold, one from something entirely different. He saw one man sway on his feet, the other reached a hand out to help the swaying man. A smile slipped across the lips of both men and they glanced at each other, one with something Geoff could only recognize as love and caring, the other with a look of confusion and a strange flicker of comfort. They did know each other, even if William didn't realize it Geoff did. Anyone could have, it was simply that obvious.

As Geoff's internal monologue carried on he saw William sinking slowly to his knees, Sam followed and shook him in an attempt to pull him out of whatever stupor he was in. Concern electrified the young man's face and he called the unfamiliar name that Sam had always referred to William as.

"Dean? Dean what's the matter? C'mon man, snap out of it!" Sam's voice was desperate and he turned pleading eyes to the blonde who was watching the scene through anxious eyes.

"What's the matter with him? What the hell did you do to him?" Sam shouted.

"I did nothing to him!" Geoff returned and dropped next to Sam.

Geoffrey examined the young man who had slipped to the floor. He pressed the back of his hand to William's forehead and pulled it away, startled. Sam watched him through eyes that were panicked and afraid. He stepped back, he should get the doctor, but if he did that, his secret would be as good as told. Still the man needed help and Sam needed a doctor as well, he looked no better than the other, yet he was completely oblivious to his illness and focused on the fallen man whom he was supporting. William tried to fight the other man away, claiming he was fine, yet any man could tell he was not being truthful.

"Dean, you're not fine!" Sam exclaimed for the third time since Dean had collapsed.

"Yes I am!" Dean returned.

"Why do you always have to act so damn strong? It's okay to admit that you need help every now and then. This is just like when Dad died, you always try to be the stong one, and while I admire that, you don't have to keep the act up all the time, it's okay to let your guard down, Dean." Sam stated in an attempt to jog his brother's memory.

Dean shouted out under Sam's touch and his eyes rolled back in his head as he slipped into unconsciousness.

_A wrapped body burned in a blaze of orange flames. He felt the heat blistering from the fire, but he didn't move, he merely stared deep into them, perspiration beading on his forehead. Someone stood next to him, he turned and saw Sam, watching the fire in much the same manner as he was, yet tears had gathered on the dark-haired man's cheeks._

"_Did he say anything to you?" Sam questioned._

"_No, nothing." Dean answered._

Dean's back arched as he struggled with the images flashing through his head. Sam looked on with wide eyes. Terrified, he placed his hand against Dean's shoulder and grabbed on tight in an attempt to bring his brother back to him. Dean cried out again and fell still.

"_We've been at Bobby's for over a week now and you haven't brought up Dad once." Sam stated looking down at Dean, who had just slid out from beneath the Impala._

"_You know what, you're right. C'mere. I'll lay my head gently on your shoulder. Maybe we can cry, hug, or even slow dance." Dean spoke._

"_Don't patronize me, Dean, Dad is dead! The Colt is gone, and it seems pretty damn likely that the demon is behind all of this, and you're acting like nothing happened!"_

"_What do you want me to say?"_

"_Something, alright? Hell, say anything! Aren't you angry? Don't you want revenge? But all you do is sit out here all day, buried underneath this damn car!" Sam shouted._

Dean cried out in anguish as his body stiffened under Sam's touch before the young man snapped from his trance and slipped his eyes open to stare at Sam with only a hint of recognition.

"Sam?" Dean asked weakly.

"Yes! Yes you remember?" Sam exclaimed.

Dean shook his head and held his hand out for Sam to take. "No, but help me up will ya? There's something driving up my ass."

Sam gaped at him in astonishment before hauling the older man to his feet, grabbing him as he stumbled. Dean looked back to where he had been laying only moments before and saw a large rock sitting on the floor, surrounded by a variety of other items that looked like they would make excellent torture devices. Hell, for all he knew they _were_ torture devices.

"Damn, look at the size of that rock." Dean replied and grimaced as he remembered the discomfort of landing on it.

"We should get you to the doctor, William." Geoff replied quickly, noticing the paleness of Dean's face and the tremors that were traveling through his body as Sam supported his weight.

"Only if Sam comes, I'm not leaving him alone down here." Dean stated, gathering what strength he had left in him to stand upright under his own power.

"William..."Geoff started before Sam turned on him, eyes blazing.

"Don't call him that! His name is _Dean_!" The youngest brother yelled, losing all patience with Geoffrey.

The blonde man fell silent, forced into a stunned hush by Sam's harsh words. He watched the two men, his mind working quickly in an attempt to figure something out.

'_William...or Dean, whoever he may be, will not leave without Sam. I could attempt to force Sam to remain hidden while the doctor looks at Willi...Dean, but Sam needs medical attention as well. I do not know if I can trust Doctor Grayson to remain silent about me helping a prisoner to escape, but what other option do I have? Neither will leave without the other.'_ Geoff thought to himself.

"Very well, but Sam, I must ask that you remain hidden while the doctor sees to Will...I mean, Dean." Geoff replied, shifting uncomfortably as Sam shot a nasty glance his way.

"But he's my brother." Sam objected.

"And you are still a prisoner. If word gets out that I helped you to escape I will most definitely be sentenced to death As will he for aiding me in my crime." Geoff stated anxiously, pointing to Dean.

Sam fell stormily silent at the other man's words He understood where Geoff was coming from, and he had to admit that the point the blonde was making was a damn good one. He sighed, running a hand across his fever flushed face and down to his chest where he attempted to rub away some of the pressure in his lungs before he finally gave in and submitted to the tickle in his throat which sent him into a fit of coughing that lasted nearly a minute before finally tapering off to leave him gasping and wheezing. He nodded.

"Fine, just get some help for my brother." Sam replied hoarsely.

"We are likely going to meet someone on the way, so there is something we need to make before we head out." Geoff stated and gathered a tattered piece of rope from the cold floor.

* * *

"Dean?" Sam asked as he felt his brother stumble into him. He grabbed Dean's arm. 

"I'm fine." Dean whispered.

"You're a horrible liar." Sam assured him.

"Shut up." Dean argued.

"What are you doing with the prisoner?" Came a gruff voice from behind them. All three men froze and Sam worked his hands into the rope bounds that they had constructed before leaving the cell.

"I was told to take the prisoner to another cell." Geoff replied curtly, turning Sam around roughly to face the guard.

Sam held up his loosely tied hands to show them to the questioning guard, who regarded him menacingly through stony brown eyes that never left Sam's face.

"Who instructed you to do so?" The guard asked.

"Why, Lady Montgomery, of course." Geoff replied.

"Lady Montgomery is not in the castle this afternoon. She went over to the next kingdom to call on friends." The guard stated.

Geoff's stance stiffened. "I am aware of that. She gave me the message this morning before she left." He replied quickly.

"Do you also know that Lady Montgomery is not in charge of this kingdom? Lady Layton gives the orders." The guard replied.

"Well, I am sure that Lady Layton told Lady Montgomery that she wanted the prisoner moved." Geoff said.

"I would have heard about it. I did not." The guard replied stonily.

"My good man, I would not move the prisoner if I was not first instructed to do so." Geoff stated.

"Why are you moving him at all? You have no jurisdiction down here, you are only a scribe. Prisoners should be moved by the kingdom guards." The man growled.

Geoff was at a loss, he had nothing else to say and this man had forced him into a far corner of the hall where he could not break free. The blonde scribe continued to hold onto Sam in an attempt to convince the guard that his words were true. The guard, however didn't seem convinced. It was at that moment that Dean's strength finally abandoned him and he fell quickly to the ground, catching everyone's attention.

Sam sent a swift kick into the guard's stomach and he doubled over, leaving the man wide open for attack. Sam took advantage of it and pelted the guard with a series of kicks and punches, before stepping back to watch him hit the ground.

"Dean?" Sam asked, dropping in front of his barely conscious brother.

"Sam?" Dean whispered.

"Your lying might suck, but your timing is excellent." Sam stated with a smirk.

* * *

"Doctor Grayson! It is Lord McMorrows, Something is wrong!" Geoffrey shouted as he jogged the way from the room that he and Sam had practically carried Dean to and downstairs to where the doctor's quarters were. 

The doctor came hurrying from his room when he heard Geoff shout and followed the man upstairs to the bedroom. They found the man in question curled in on himself on the floor of his room, as close to the cold stone as he could possibly get in an attempt to banish the fever burning within him.

"How long has he been like this?" The doctor questioned worriedly.

"Nearly forty five minutes." Geoff replied, eyes on Dean and the doctor before lifting and wondering to the curtain at the other end of the room behind which Sam stood, watching his suffering brother, wanting so badly to go to him and help him, but he knew he could not.

"Why did you not come for me before this?" The doctor scolded.

"He assured me that he was fine. He did not want you to come." Geoff responded quickly, his eyes once again drifting to where Sam stood hidden.

"He always _was_ a stubborn man. Help me get him onto the bed and then fetch a basin of cold water, we must try to break his fever." The doctor ordered and felt Dean's neck for the pulse that beat much too quickly beneath his fingertips.

"His heart is beating too fast." The doctor continued.

Dean squirmed on the floor as another image flashed through his mind. He screamed out in agony as pain blossomed inside his head.

_He was in a dark basement, a strange weapon held tightly in his hand. He was looking for something. He walked cautiously through the room and beneath his feet the soft splash of water called to him as he stepped into it. Something was behind him, he whirled around and shot the weapon in his hand. It hit it's target and sent a highly charged electrical pulse into the creature, yet the pulse also hit him. He felt it rage through his body and his heart hammered wildly in his chest. It hurt to breathe, with every beat of his heart waves and waves of pain came crashing down on him and he found himself falling backwards. He hit a wall, slid down it and passed out, the electricity still rushing through his body._

"Get him on the bed, now!" Doctor Grayson called to Geoff as he heard Dean cry out.

Geoff nodded and helped to lift the unconscious man onto the bed before rushing out to get a basin of cold water that would be used in an attempt to break the fever raging inside the helpless man.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Sam watched anxiously from where he was hidden. He saw the pain his brother was going through and he wanted to go to him, but knew that he couldn't, not if he wanted to keep Geoff safe. He hated this, hated being torn between helping his brother or saving another man's life. He decided to take the second option, but that didn't mean that he had to like it. He drew a painful breath that rattled in his chest and cause him to grimace, but made no sound or movement as the doctor tried to help Dean. He leaned back slowly against the cold stone wall behind him, taking precautions to keep his line of vision where it was so that he could keep an eye on the action taking place at the other end of the room. Pressure built in his chest, threatening to burst forth in a fit of coughing, but he pushed it back. He forced himself to remain silent, breathing in small gulps to avoid coughing. He pressed on his chest, hoping to banish the pressure and it seemed to work, as long as he kept his hand where it was and applied adequate force.

Suddenly Dean fell as still as death and Sam's heart leapt into his throat as he watched his brother's still form on the bed, the doctor and Geoff working frantically to find out what was causing the symptoms. Sam started to take a step out of hiding, but stopped himself when he realized what he was doing. He couldn't go to Dean, not while someone other than Geoff was in the room because that would mean death for the man that had helped them.

"He seems to be settled for now. I do not know if there is anything that I can do for him." The doctor replied anxiously.

"But, you are the doctor, is it not your job to cure illness?" Geoff questioned suddenly.

"Yes, but I cannot do anything to help him if I do not know what is making him sick!" The doctor responded harshly.

"What about the alchemist? If you cannot figure out what his illness is, perhaps the alchemist can." Geoff suggested innocently.

"The alchemist's job is to mix potions and turn metal into gold, not to cure the sick." The doctor stated in frustration.

"Well, it would seem that we have no other options _available_ to us!" Geoff snapped, his eyes darting back to the bed where Dean lay gasping against the pillows.

"Fine! But do not expect anything, the alchemist is _not_ a doctor." Doctor Grayson hissed and stormed from the room.

As soon as the doctor had left, Sam stumbled out from behind the curtain, coughing. The young man's face was turning red with the effort and he was bent forward over his feet as his body was wracked with the painful coughing. Upon seeing this, Geoff dipped a glass into the drinking water basin on the bedside table and took it over to the youngest Winchester, who accepted it thankfully and swallowed it down when the coughing had subsided.

"Are you alright?" Geoff asked curiously.

Sam nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Dean groaned restlessly and his eyes slid slowly open to reveal constricted pupils and the man on the bed gazed around without motive. He seemed trapped in a trance, not really knowing what was going on, or if he did, he showed no signs of recognition. Sam sat gently next to his brother and watched Dean worriedly.

"Dean, you with me?" Sam asked quietly.

The oldest Winchester gazed into Sam's face for a long moment, and slight recognition flashed over his tired features.

"Do you know who I am?" Sam asked, hopefully.

Dean shook his head in the negative and Sam's stomach flipped sickly, his face falling to sadness and disappointment. Dean drew a ragged breath. "Thirsty." The oldest brother said weakly.

"Yeah, sure Dean. Here." Sam said and took the glass that Geoff was offering him. "Easy does it, not too fast." Sam replied calmly, helping his brother to drink the water, his eyes searching for the glass he had been drinking from moments before, he didn't want to risk transmitting his illness to Dean.

"It is a different glass." Geoff said, noticing what Sam was doing. Sam nodded gratefully.

"Thanks." Dean sighed. He pushed the glass away and once again resorted to looking around idly, his eyes glazed and unfocused.

"Don't mention it...bro." Sam replied sadly. Dean still didn't remember him and that was heartbreaking.

Dean shifted uncomfortably and before Sam knew what was happening, Dean grabbed him by the arm, near tears, as pain rushed violently through his body. Sam placed a hand over Dean's to offer comfort in the time of need and he spoke softly to him.

"It's okay, Dean. It's okay, you're gonna get better, alright? You're my big brother, you're going to pull through this, you've gone through worse." Sam said comfortingly.

"Sam?" Dean asked through haziness.

"Yeah Dean, it's me, I'm here. You know who I am, don't you?" Sam questioned anxiously after hearing Dean ask for him.

Dean drew a breath with the intention of speaking, but Sam accidentally cut him off with a fit of coughs that ended with the youngest brother doubled over, trying to calm his churning stomach that was rebelling against all of the coughing he was doing. He swallowed thickly, but ended up coughing again, his entire body jerking with the force of it.

"Damn it." Sam hissed, breathing heavily after the fit had subsided.

"Here." Geoff replied, offering Sam another glass of water.

"Thank you." Sam replied hoarsely and gulped the cool liquid down slowly.

"You're sick, you need a doctor." Dean whispered to Sam when the youngest Winchester turned back to the older.

"Not as much as you do, I'm fine." Sam lied smoothly, resisting the urge to cough again.

Geoff pressed a hand against Sam's cheek and pulled it back suspiciously.

"You are feverish." Geoff stated.

"I'm okay." Sam responded.

Geoff fell silent, and turned his attention back to Dean, sneaking a glance at Sam fairly often to make sure the young man was still sitting upright.

"Water." Dean croaked and Sam set his glass aside and reached for the one that Dean had been drinking out of earlier.

"Here." The younger brother said, helping Dean to drink yet again.

Footsteps outside of the door, accompanied by voices greeted their ears. Sam and Geoff both looked eagerly towards the door.

"You must hide!" Geoff replied quickly and ushered the man back to the curtain, where he left him before hurrying back to Dean's side.

"Where'd he go?" Dean asked anxiously, having felt comfort when Sam was around. Now that Sam was no longer by his side he felt fear simmering within him.

"He will return when we are alone once again." Geoff assured him.

Dean nodded and his eyes drifted to the curtain where Sam was hiding, before he weakly turned his head to where the doctor and the alchemist were rushing across the floor to his bedside. The alchemist cast wide eyes over the sick man and then his gaze shifted to Geoff, then the doctor, then back to Dean who was rapidly slipping back into unconsciousness.

"Do you know what is wrong with him?" Geoff asked eagerly.

The alchemist shook his head. "No, not yet, but allow me to examine Lord McMorrows and then perhaps I can shed some light on his condition." The man replied.

"Of course, do what you must, just help him." Geoff said.

"You know him quite well?" The alchemist asked.

"He is a good friend of mine." Geoff nodded.

"I will see what I can do."

Geoff and doctor Grayson watched anxiously as the Alchemist began his examination.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

An in depth examination of Dean told the alchemist all he needed to know. The poison that he had created for John was now raging inside of this young man. He turned quickly to the other two.

"He has been poisoned! Quickly, an antidote must be created if he is to live!" The alchemist snapped.

"Poisoned? By who?" Geoff stated, then his eyes narrowed. "Lord Rockwell!" Geoff jumped to the conclusion, recalling that the man on the bed had only fallen ill after his last encounter with John.

The alchemist said nothing, but a glance toward Geoff told him all he needed to know. Anger boiled inside of him and he clenched his fists. John Rockwell would pay for this, he'd see to it.

"Can you create an antidote?" The doctor asked.

"I know what type of poison has been used, so yes, I can create an antidote. It will take time, but if I get started on it right away, it will be completed with time to spare." The alchemist replied.

"How did he come into contact with the poison?" The doctor questioned, now understanding that this was the alchemist's area of expertise.

"One of two ways. The poison I was forced to create was a liquid, inhaling it would have no effect and so it would have to go _into_ the person. Whether it be by an open wound or through ingestion and since I found no open wounds anywhere on young William's body, the only other option is ingestion." The alchemist spoke and before anyone had the time to respond, the old man was hurrying from the room to devise an antidote. "Doctor Grayson, would you accompany me please? You know William's medical history, you can guide me so I do not put anything in the antidote that may cause an allergic reaction." The alchemist called back. The doctor got to his feet and followed the man out of the room, once again leaving only Dean, Sam and Geoff.

"He's been poisoned?" Sam replied, bursting out from behind the curtains.

"It would seem so." Geoff stated.

"For what?" Sam asked angrily.

"There has been bad blood between Lord Rockwell and Lord McMor...I mean, Dean for as long as I can recall. They both arrived here around the same time and they have never been able to get along." Geoff stated.

"Why not?" Sam asked, his eyes drifting to his brother.

"Lord Rockwell fears that he will lose Adrienne to this man." Geoff replied, refraining from using the one of the two names that caused confusion amongst himself and Sam.

"So, you're telling me that my brother might die because of jealousy? Lord Rockwell is _jealous_ of my brother?" Sam asked.

"That is essentially what I am saying, yes." Geoff responded, not liking the stormy expression that was flashing across Sam's face.

"This is ridiculous!" Sam suddenly exploded, his emotions getting the best of him. Geoff took an alarmed step back, out of striking distance.

"Yes, it does seem childish, does it not?" Geoff asked cautiously.

"Damn right it does! We never should've gotten involved with this case!" Sam snapped.

"Case?" Geoff asked curiously.

"Yes, case! This whole thing, you, this castle, this... bed!" Sam yelled, striking the bedpost nearest to him. "None of it is real! Not in the sense that I'm real...or...or that Dean's real, it's just a legend!" Sam shouted, the room dipping around him.

"Please, keep your voice down." Geoff hissed anxiously.

"Keep my voice down? You know damn well how this is all going to turn out, how it's _supposed _to turn out! You live it continuously once every five years, you're trapped, aren't you? No way out, doomed to repeat this over and over again for eternity!" Sam shouted, eyes blazing.

"Trapped? No I am not trapped, I am free to come and go as I please, but I will be _dead_ if you do not quiet yourself!" Geoff returned, clearly clueless as to what Sam was ranting about.

Sam started to respond, but was taken by surprise when the room did a complete somersault around him. He fell to his knees, eyes clenched shut to avoid the spinning of the room caused by his fevered mind and his illness.

"Damn it!" Sam shouted as his body exploded into a fit of coughing that left him gagging and nauseous.

"Here, drink this and calm yourself." Geoff replied, pushing a glass of water into Sam's hands.

"Calm myself? How the hell do you expect me to calm myself when my brother is _dying_?" Sam yelled.

"Shh! Please!" Geoff pleaded with the young man.

"Why can't things _ever_ go as planned? We did our research, we knew what to expect, but the thought never crossed our mind that one of _us_ would be taken in by this...curse. One man goes missing every five years, he never returns, rumor has it that he is lured to a castle where he becomes trapped in a story that took place back in the sixteen hundreds. The man is taken hostage, wiped of his memory and killed by an angry spirit, or so the legend goes, but the cause of death is not known, it never has been because no man has ever returned after going missing!" Sam replied quickly, running through the facts of the story aloud as they flew through his head in a blur.

"Sam, what are you talking about?" Geoff asked, genuinely worried.

"Legend has it that there are two ghosts year round, trapped between worlds. People have seen them a man and a woman, but once every five years, the forest seems to be crawling with ghosts and people are advised not to travel the road when the strange lights are seen through the trees, because it is thought that death will come to all who are chased by the lights...I was chased by the lights...Dean must've been chased by the lights too. But we thought the victim had already been taken, there was a report of a missing man in the papers last week, but if the man was not brought here, then it makes sense that Dean or myself would have been the victim. Damn it, it was a fifty- fifty chance, why Dean?" Sam hissed.

"Sam, you are unwell, you need time to rest and recover." Geoff replied.

"He needs a doctor." Came a weak voice from the bed and the men on the floor looked up to see Dean peering worriedly over the edge of the bed.

"Lord McMorrows!" Geoff replied suddenly.

"His name is Dean!" Sam shouted and pulled himself to his knees.

"Dean, c'mon man, you have to remember, this isn't who you are!" Sam begged, but Dean showed no sign of comprehension.

"Your name is Dean Winchester, you're my brother, we took Oldsdowne road into the forest. There was a car accident, the Impala flipped, when I woke up you were gone. You were lured here where you were wiped of your memory and forced to play this damn twisted game. You're going to die if we don't hunt down and destroy the things that control this illusion! C'mon man, you _have_ to remember!" Sam pleaded. As he spoke the colour slowly drained from his face and he broke off into another violent bout of coughing.

"Get him the doctor... Now." Dean replied as he saw Sam's head drop to his chest in exhaustion and heard the wheezing coming from the young man's lungs.

"But, I will be sentenced to death if anyone finds out he is here." Geoff replied.

"That guard...he's gonna wake up sometime...and the word's gonna get out...Geoff...people are gonna find out anyway... what... difference does it make?" Dean spoke, gasping for breath as pain rolled in waves throughout his body.

Geoff's eyes darted between the two men, but he didn't move.

"Then I will be killed either way." Geoff concluded sadly.

"I'm...sorry." Dean replied.

"I will go and fetch the doctor." Geoff replied quietly and got shakily to his feet to move slowly out of the room.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: A huge thank you to all who have been keeping with this story and leaving your comments, I really do appreciate it! Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it! Oh yeah, the season one episode 'Faith' has a small part in this chapter, but it's only a few lines, so don't let that stop you!**

**CHAPTER 11**

Geoff rounded the corner, head down, thinking through his fate. He sighed sadly and thought back through his actions. Would he have done anything differently? No. He did not regret what he did, he did not care for the consequences, but he did not regret helping Sam escape. He was afraid to think about what may have happened had he not helped the young man and everything he came up with made him satisfied that what he had done was the right thing. Sam was not the first man he helped to escape from death, he had helped others, those that had been wrongly accused of committing some crime, or those who had been on the wrong end of Adrienne's anger. He helped the innocent. He was a counselor of sorts, he enjoyed speaking with people and he knew that if one was about to die, having another human being to speak with would offer some comfort and if he could help the wrongly accused to escape an untimely fate, then he would do so, and so he had. He had been helping prisoners for nearly ten years, ever since Adrienne was given control of the kindom. The woman was incapable of running a kingdom without her jealousy or her pride getting in the way. She had been known to send people to death who simply looked at her wrongly on the street. She was royalty and she thought that she could get away with anything, but Geoff had made it his duty to help those innocent victims escape and in some cases relocate to a different town, take on a different name and essentially adopt a different life.

In his years of practice, never before had he been faced with a situation this extreme. The prisoners he helped had never claimed to know or to be related to someone in the castle, Sam was the first and Sam was also in danger from whatever illness he was suffering from and Geoff refused to stand aside and possibly let it claim the young man's life. Liar or not, the man was innocent. His only crime was seeking shelter from a storm in the castle. That and claiming to be Lord McMorrows' brother, but for all Geoff or anyone in the castle knew, Lord McMorrows may have had a brother. The man was fairly secretive about his life, he always had been, nobody knew much about him, he just tended not to speak about his personal life and Geoff respected that. However, some did not. Lord Rockwell for one, that man had never cared for William, he was always afraid that William would take Adrienne away from him, which was quite possibly one of the most foolish things Geoff had ever heard of, Lord McMorrows had never had feelings for Adrienne,_ she_ had always made the advances on _him_ and he, being the gentleman, did not have the heart to explain to her the way he truly felt.

Now, more than ever, Geoff wished that William would forget his proper upbringing and turn her away, but even as he thought this, he knew it would not happen. William did not approve of the way Lord Rockwell treated Adrienne, he never had. He had always felt driven to defend her, extreme or not, to William, Adrienne was just a victim of Lord Rockwell's sick game. Still, if Lord McMorrows had turned the woman away int eh first place, he would not be hanging on the edge of death after being poisoned by Lord Rockwell. This was not the first falling out William and John had had, but it was by far the most extreme. There were several times before when William found himself on the receiving end of violence inflicted by Lord Rockwell, but he still refused to give into the man. His pride always got in the way and, Geoff thought, it probably always would. William was a proud man and he showed no signs of changing anytime in the immediate future.

Geoff's mind floated back to the situation at hand, he had helped a prisoner to escape, not for the first time, but this was the only time that Geoff felt his life was truly in jeopardy. He was about to give away his secret to the man, aside from Lord Rockwell, whom Adrienne had the most contact with. Could he trust him? He did not know. He did not know if he could trust the doctor with a secret on such a grand scale, but it was his only option. Lord McMorrows had commanded him to retreive help for Sam and he was obligated to obey. After all, William was of a higher status than he was and therefore he held a position of power over Geoff. Even though William was his friend, a good friend, he still had to do as Lord McMorrows said, it was just the way things worked. Geoff drew a breath and entered the Alchemist's office, the two men inside looked up at his arrival, saw his stony expression and started to put away the materials that they had been making an antidote with.

"When did he pass?" Doctor Grayson asked.

"I was certain there was enough time to make the cure and give it to him." The alchemist replied.

Geoff held up his hands in surprise. "No, keep making the antidote, Lord McMorrows is still alive, I am here for a different manner."

Looks of relief washed over the faces of both the doctor and the alchemist and they returned to what they had been doing. Doctor Grayson looked up as Geoff approached him.

"If Lord McMorrows is still surviving, why do you look so saddened?" The doctor questioned.

"Can I speak to you in private?" Geoff asked.

"Yes, of course." Doctor Grayson replied and excused himself before leading Geoff to the opposite side of the room.

"What is troubling you Geoffrey?" The doctor asked.

"Do you recall the peasant that arrived claiming to know William?" Geoff questioned.

"Yes, Adrienne said that he returned to the village safely."

"She lied. She ordered him to be imprisoned and sentenced to death." Geoff stated.

The doctor looked taken aback, but not entirely surprised. "Well, she does have strange mannerisms. Why are you concerning yourself with what Adrienne does?"

"Because, he is ill. Very ill." Geoff said.

"If he is being sentenced to death, it makes no odds how ill he is."

Geoffrey hesitated and the doctor's face turned to an expression of concerned curiosity.

"What did you do? You did not help him, did you?" The doctor whispered sharply.

Geoff was silent, the doctor's shoulders fell and he closed his eyes before sighing. "Geoffrey, you know the penalty for helping a prisoner is death, why would you place yourself in such a position?"

"He claims to know Lord McMorrows, I have spoken with him and I think I believe his words. He seems genuine." Geoff replied.

"I am sure a prisoner would say anything if he thought he would get an escape route." The doctor sighed, his eyes now locked on the young blonde's anxious features.

"This man is different, I know it. Ivan, I trust him. I do not know why, but I do, and I truly believe that he _does_ know William, somehow." Geoff said.

"But if you are discovered you will die." The doctor stated.

"I do not regret what I did. I would do it again, but he _does_ need your attention. If you could spare only a few moments to come and see to him, please."

Doctor Grayson sighed, running through options in his head. He finally nodded. "Very well, but be sure that we are hidden out of sight, if I am caught with you and the prisoner I will surely be put to death as well."

"You are not going to tell others what I have done?" Geoff asked in surprise.

"No, my good man, you should know me better than that. I am your friend, I will not turn you over for death. Now, take me to this man."

* * *

Sam leaned his head wearily back against the edge of Dean's bed. He drew breath after breath, but felt unable to take in enough air and so he continued his antics. He shifted position, trying to find one where as much air as possible would flow into his lungs, but he was disappointed when he realized that no matter what, his chest felt like there was a tightening belt around it, constricting his airways. 

"How you doing?" Dean questioned shortly after Geoff had left to retrieve the doctor.

"I'm fine, how are _you_ doing?" Sam asked, dismissing Dean's concern.

"I'm not dead yet...so that's gotta...count for..for something." Dean stated and Sam nodded, the answer was good enough for him for the time being.

"Dean, you're not going to die, period. You're going to be fine and we're going to end this case and get the hell out of here, okay?" Sam spoke and then saw Dean's eyes glaze over, while a shock of pain traveled over the pale face.

"Dean?" Sam asked.

Dean shouted and brought his hands to his head as the room dipped violently around him.

"Dean!" Sam replied, struggling to his feet.

_He knocked on the door and waited. A few seconds later the door was opened and Sam stood on the other side, watching him through disbelieving eyes that glimmered with unshed tears._

"_What the hell are you doing here?" Sam questioned._

"_I checked myself out." He heard himself saying._

"_What, are you crazy?" Was the startled response from Sam._

"_Well, I'm not going to die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot." He spoke and felt a blossom of pleasure when Sam laughed and shut the door behind him. However, the young man's face quickly turned serious and he felt a grasp on his arm. He was being led to a seat._

"_You know this whole I-laugh-in-the-face-of-death thing? It's crap, I can see right through it." Sam stated._

_He shrugged. "Yeah, whatever dude. Have you even slept? You look worse than me."_

"_I've been scouring the internet for the past three days. Calling every contact in dad's journal."_

"_For what?"_

"_For a way to help you." Sam spoke, seemingly appalled that such a question would even be asked. "One of dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. Told me about a guy in Nebraska, a specialist."_

"_You're not gonna let me die in peace, are you?" He heard himself say._

"_I'm not gonna let you die, period. Come on, we're going." Sam replied._

"What happened?" Shouted the doctor as he came into the room and saw Sam leaning over Dean, trying to hold him still as his body jerked and trembled.

"I uh...I don't know, it just happened. Are you the doctor?" Sam asked and a quick nod from Geoff gave him his answer. "Well, you gotta help him! Please!" Sam pleaded.

"Step aside and I will see what I can do." Doctor Grayson replied, pushing past Sam so he could see to Dean.

Sam watched as the doctor worked, ignoring the room as it spun around him. He stumbled, Geoff caught him by the arm and turned concerned eyes on him. Sam shrugged him off, but found himself swaying again. Geoff took a hold of his arm once again and Sam didn't offer to push the other man away this time. Sam brought a hand up to rub wearily across his face, feeling the strength draining from his body. The concern that he felt for his brother was the only thing keeping him upright, if it hadn't been for that he knew that he would have crashed.

Dean's body was quieting and the oldest brother was showing signs of groping his way back to consciousness. Sam watched anxiously as Dean groaned and slowly opened his eyes. The doctor leaned over him with concern etched on his face, satisfied with what he saw, he sighed a breath of relief.

"Lord McMorrows, can you hear me?" The doctor questioned and Dean nodded slightly.

"Good." Doctor Grayson stated.

"What happened?" Dean asked shakily and then the images that had just flashed through his mind returned and drifted lazily through his thoughts. He turned to Sam and watched the young man with piqued interest. He was familiar.

"Dude, what are you staring at me for?" Sam questioned groggily, his words slurring together.

"I know you, from somewhere." Dean murmured.

Sam stepped forward, Geoff still holding onto his arm. "Yes, that's right...you do know me. I'm Sam, I'm your brother."

Dean looked as though he were in deep thought as he ran through everything that was in his mind, either hiding in the shadows, or beneath a spotlight. He shook his head when things refused to come to him and closed his eyes for a short moment before opening them once more. His eyes wandered to Sam, them to Geoff, then to the doctor before drifting to Sam once again. A line of concern creased Dean's forehead as he saw Sam shake his head as if to clear it and stumble to the right, but Geoff held on to the young man tightly.

"Are you alright?" Geoff questioned the man he was holding onto. Sam nodded, but it was a weak attempt at a lie and all could see right through it.

Doctor Grayson continued to fuss over Dean, not noticing the other ill man in the room until the sound of commotion drew his attention to Geoff and Sam's direction.

* * *

"Oh god." Sam slurred as he physically _felt_ the room run circles around him. He staggered back, Geoff held him upright, but only barely. Sam was larger than Geoff who was slightly smaller than Dean, and it took a lot of effort to keep the larger man from toppling. 

A fit of coughing grabbed Sam and sent him leaning forward and struggling to take in breath. He grabbed for the aid of another to keep him from falling when his knees buckled, but the help that Geoff offered did no good as Sam crashed to the ground, the smaller man sinking with him, unable to hold the youngest brother up any longer. The room tilted again and Sam curled in on himself, willing the coughing to go away as he fought to draw breath. Every time he thought the fit was ending it would strike him again with full force. A few minutes passed and slowly Sam began to settle. Only then was he aware of the comforting touch on his back, rubbing soothing circles across the back of his shoulders. He turned his head wearily, groaning as the action sent the room twirling once again and his bleary eyes locked with the concerned hazel stare of his brother. He sucked in breath after breath, his lungs rattling with the effort and finally he calmed.

* * *

Dean watched through wide, terrified eyes and struggled to pull himself up when he heard Sam's words and saw him go down. He tossed the blankets back and slid his feet over the edge before pushing himself up and stumbling to where the other man was suffering. He reached a hand out and touched Sam's upper back and he automatically started rubbing his hand in circles over the jerking movement of Sam's shoulders. It just felt like the right thing to do in a situation like this. The simple movement of his hand caused images of Sam to flash through his mind and that one thing that he'd been grasping for finally came rushing back to him. Sam _was_ his brother. He knew that now and he felt the urge to offer comfort to the man, it was his duty. 


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

The youngest brother turned to the oldest and watched him through glassy eyes that flickered with the faintest glimmer of hope. Dean's entire demeanor had just changed, his tone of voice shifted, his touch felt different, even his presence changed to something Sam was more familiar with. Dean had gone into big brother mode, forgetting his own ailments, forgetting the fact that he could very well die before this was over, ignoring the fever seeping through his skin, the gasping breaths that he took, the shuddering, everything. Dean had forgotten it. He ignored himself and turned his attention solely to Sam. It was a Dean that the youngest Winchester knew all too well, a Dean that he felt safest around, but got annoyed with all at the same time. He watched Dean through those hopeful eyes and a small smile drifted to his lips.

"You know." Sam stated, he felt it, he felt Dean's recognition and it was the best feeling in the world.

Dean smiled ever so slightly and nodded. He knew.

"Here." Dean spoke softly, handing Sam a glass of water that the doctor had given him.

"Thanks." Sam muttered quietly and sipped the liquid slowly, his cheeks aglow with relief.

"Don't mention it, Sammy." Dean spoke softly before he found his own strength abandoning him. He fought against it, he wasn't going to appear weak, Not now, not in front of Sam.

"Dean, don't call me Sammy." The youngest brother warned.

Dean watched Sam through eyes that shimmered with slight amusement, but the amusement was soon taken over by anguish as Dean hissed in pain as he was once again reminded of the poison coursing through his body.

"Get back into bed." The doctor instructed and helped Dean to the mattress, where he sunk back against the pillows, but his eyes still drifted over Sam, concern barely hidden behind the pain.

The doctor turned on the youngest brother and regarded him with weary, suspicious eyes. Maybe Geoff was right about this young man, he certainly didn't seem threatening and it was now clear that the man on the bed recognized the other as his brother. He approached the dark haired man on the floor cautiously and pressed his hand against his fevered cheek, shaking his head as he pulled it back. This man _did_ need attention, he needed fluids and bed rest, but other than that he did not know what he could do for him. The doctor took the empty glass from the man, refilled it and pressed it back into his hands, roughly instructing him to drink. No questions were asked and he sipped the water until it was gone.

* * *

Hours stretched by, and Sam, Geoff and the doctor were anxiously hovering over Dean's bed, waiting for the alchemist to come to them with the antidote. Sam ran a hand over his face and sighed, his eyes locked on Dean's pale cheeks and closed eyes. No sooner had he done that then there was commotion at the door and the alchemist rushed through, holding an glass in his hand.

"Here it is. Give it to him quickly!" The man replied and handed the glass to the doctor who roused the sleeping man and tipped the glass to his lips.

All watched in silence, waiting to see the outcome. The outcome was slow arriving, but little by little improvement could be seen in Dean's condition. Some colour returned to his cheeks and his breathing evened out. He groped his way back to consciousness and cast blurred eyes to all who were present. His gaze stopped on Sam and sat there as a small smile twisted its way across his dry lips. There was a flailing movement and the oldest brother lunged to the side of the bed and coughed up what little had been in his stomach into a waiting basin. Anxious eyes shifted to the alchemist, who dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

"It is normal. He will be fine." The old man spoke simply.

The three men relaxed and watched as Dean regained his strength. He was soon sitting up and sipping a glass of water contentedly, his eyes still locked on Sam as they gazed over the rim of the cup.

Sam returned the look and a grin crossed his features.

* * *

"Dean, what do you remember?" Sam questioned after Geoff, the alchemist and the doctor had cleared out of earshot and were now speaking quietly with Geoff in a corner of the room.

"I remember you, I remember...oh god, the Impala! Damn it!" Dean snapped.

"Don't worry about it, we'll fix it, somehow." Sam replied.

"We're on a case?" Dean attempted, the words flying to his mouth and spilling through his lips.

Sam nodded. "Yes, a case, do you remember the case?"

"A ghost story...we gotta kick some evil ass." Dean spoke suddenly and Sam laughed.

"In time, when you're a bit healthier." Sam responded.

"Dude, I'm healthy, let's do this. We gotta take_ them_ out?" Dean questioned, his gaze drifting to the men that had helped him.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know."

Commotion downstairs drew everyone's attention and the sound of heavy feet were heard climbing the stairs. Geoff looked anxiously to the door, then to Sam, then back to the door, to the doctor and the alchemist, both of whom knew what he had done, then his eyes darted back to Sam. The youngest brother's mind went into overdrive and he shot under the large bed that Dean was in, the blankets fell to the floor, concealing him from prying eyes. It wasn't the best hiding place, but it was all he could manage with such short notice. Dean looked down with amusement, a strange look crossed his face.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing running away like a little girl?" He asked.

"Shut up Dean, act like I'm not here." Sam hissed.

"But Sam..."

"Shhh!" Sam snapped and the urgency in his brother's hiss made Dean listen to the youngest man's words and he leaned back against the pillows.

"That's him. That's the man that helped the prisoner." Came a gruff voice as a trio of guards came through the door, followed by Adrienne and John.

The guard was pointing at Geoff, who had gone three shades paler and was visibly shaken. The young man took a few stumbling steps back and swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Geoffrey? Is this true?" Adrienne asked vehemently, her eyes narrowed and she was staring angrily at the man in question.

"No, of course it's not true!" Doctor Grayson defended almost immediately. Adrienne turned on him.

"And how, my dear doctor, would _you_ know?" She snapped.

"Because he's been with me for the day, we've been watching over Lord McMorrows." The doctor replied without hesitation.

"And how is he?" John snarled.

"I'm fine, no thanks to you." Dean spoke from the bed. Some of the colour had returned to his face and he glared maliciously at the dark haired man who had poisoned him.

"And what do you mean by that?" John growled.

"I mean you poisoned me, you bastard."

"What a ridiculous assumption, you have no proof, so why would you jump to such conclusions?"

"Because I know damn well what you did!" Dean replied.

"You know nothing!"

Dean fumed silently, no matter what he said John was going to object and by the appalled look on her face, it was clear that Adrienne would side with the man who had tried to kill Dean.

"William, you should not make such rash assumptions, I am certain that John had nothing to do with your illness. I am just glad that you are recovering." Adrienne spoke softly, her eyes traveled longingly over the young man who was seated in the bed, the sheet bunched around his waist to reveal a bare chest. The woman slid her tongue over her lips suggestively and John shifted uncomfortably next to her before drawing the woman's attention back to him.

"The prisoner is still missing, and we are yet to find the culprit responsible for his escape." John replied quickly.

"Yes, of course. Search the castle, find him and return him to his cell." Adrienne replied and the guards obeyed immediately.

"What has he done?" The Alchemist stated. John turned sharp eyes on the older man.

"What are _you_ doing here?" The man replied gruffly.

"He is helping to save William's life." Geoff responded.

John's malicious eyes locked on the alchemist, who returned the glance with one of his own stony glares.

"Is that so?" John asked curiously.

"So what if it is? If it hadn't been for him, I'd be dead by now." Dean responded angrily.

"Perhaps it would have been better if you _were_." John hissed and stormed from the room, leaving all watching him through stunned eyes.

Silence fell over the room and with a final glance toward Geoff, Adrienne turned and followed after the man who had just departed.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I know, it's been a while, but things got in the way, sorry! This chapter isn't very eventful. I was going to wait until I had written more on it and added some action before posting, but I figured that a little is better than nothing. I'm working on the next chapter so that shouldn't be long coming. Until then sorry it took so long and enjoy what I have here!**

**CHAPTER 13**

"Bastard!" Dean hissed when John had stormed from the room.

Sam slowly pulled himself out from under the bed and pushed himself up to sit next to his brother on the bed. Dean turned to him and with a grin reached over and pushed a dust bunny that had perched on Sam's shoulder to the floor. The younger brother's cheeks were still fever flushed, but for the time being he seemed to be holding his own and Dean was pleased to see that. His eyes wandered around the room, stopping and lingering on each of the other three men, not counting his brother and a pang of anxiety wrenched its way through him. He didn't want to have to harm these three, they had helped him.

'_What the hell? Dean, you're going soft. They're already dead and they, along with the bastard and his mistress, might be a package deal...You gotta do what's gotta be done and there's no way around that.' _Dean thought to himself.

"What?" Sam asked suddenly and Dean's face flushed as he realized that he had spoken out loud.

"Nothing, never mind." Dean replied quickly and busied himself with twisting the sheet between his hands, seemingly enthralled by such a simple action as he tried to avoid any further probing about what had been said.

Sam shook his head, having heard only parts of Dean's mumbled musings and sneezed as discretely as he could from such a short warning of the tickle in his nose. He sniffed and ran a hand down the front of his face. He hated being sick, plain and simple, he hated it. His muscles ached, his head hurt and his lungs burned. As the room did a revolting little dip around him he squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head. What he wouldn't give for a good dose of cold medicine right now...or a hot bowl of chicken soup. His father had made him soup a few times when he had been sick as a boy, although that had been an uncommon occurrence as his father had rarely been around when they were children. Bobby had made him soup before, but usually it had been Dean who had played the role of care giver and made him soup when he had had colds or the flu.

"Sammy?" Dean asked, pulling the younger brother from his thoughts.

"What? Sorry, Dean, I wasn't paying attention." Sam admitted sheepishly, not even bothering to correct Dean's use of 'Sammy.'

"I can tell, you were like in a totally different universe." Dean teased.

"I know." Sam replied and sighed.

"Why don't you get some rest? You can use this bed, you clearly need it more than I do." Dean said sympathetically.

"Dean." Sam started.

"Sam, shut up and take the bed, I feel fine." Dean replied and started to throw back the covers when he stopped and pulled the back.

"Um...where are my pants?" Dean questioned, his cheeks flushing once again.

* * *

Dean wandered the castle halls aimlessly, not really having a destination in mind. He simply called it 'scouting.' He was on the hunt for a way to stop the chaos that was taking place, and the only way he could do that was to actually go and explore the place, especially since he now knew what his true purpose for coming here had been.

"William!" Came a woman's voice.

"Damn it." Dean seethed as he recognized it at once as Adrienne. He turned rapidly toward her, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Whatever are you doing up and about? Here, let me escort you back to your room, you really should not be out of bed." The woman replied, a sly smile sitting on her lips.

"No thanks, I'm fine." Dean argued.

"Surely you are not angry with me? I did not try to kill you." Adrienne replied.

"Hmm, let me think about that...give me one good reason why I shouldn't be mad." Dean hissed.

"I did nothing to you."

"You played me, probably were working with that bastard John all the time. You knew what he was planning and you didn't do _anything_ about it." Dean snarled.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me, I'm onto you. I know what you're playing at and I'll find a way to stop it."

"Lord McMorrows, it is clear that you are in no such state to be speaking such harsh words. Why don't you go back to bed and we will discuss this further when you have some more time to recover?"

Dean glared, but turned away and tramped back down the hall towards his room, rounded a corner and was out of sight before stopping and looking for an alternate route throughout the building. He walked past his room, where Sam slept restlessly in the bed while Geoff watched over him and the doctor hustled in and out of the room to do what he could for the youngest Winchester. The Alchemist had gone back to his study, assuring them that he would return later to check up on the patients.

Dean risked a quick peek through the doorway and saw Sam on his side, facing away from him, his body rising and falling in the rhythmic breath of sleep. Geoff stood in front of the window, his eyes wandering over the snowy landscape outside

Satisfied, Dean pressed on and was nearly bowled over by the doctor rushing towards the room with a bottle filled with a clear substance.

"Oh, I am so sorry Lord McMorrows, forgive my haste. I tend to shut out the world in such a state which only leads to silly accidents like this. Are you alright?" The older man questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine doc. How's Sam?"

"He is doing well, I am attempting to lessen his symptoms and it appears to be doing the trick, the fever is dropping and he seems better able to breathe now." The doctor responded, a pleased expression on his face.

"Good to hear, you must be doing one hell of a job if you've already gotten the fever to drop." Dean replied with a grin.

"I am only doing what I know and what I know seems to be working."

"Then that's all that matters. Oh hey, have you noticed any strange behaviour from Adrienne or John? Like are they particularly protective of a certain area in this place or is there an area that is off limits? Anything like that?" Dean questioned. _'May as well ask those who know this place the best.'_ He thought to himself.

"Hmm, not that I am aware of, but then again, I am generally keeping to myself in my office. Geoffrey may know,he is around them more than I. Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity." Dean answered simply.

"Yes well, curiosity tends to get one into trouble. You be careful when dealing with the likes of those two, they can turn on you at the drop of a pin. Just be cautious around them and try to avoid getting anymore on John's bad side than you already are, and definitely beware of Adrienne, she's a tricky one." The doctor replied.

"I will." Dean replied and followed the doctor into the room to gather Geoff and have a one on one chat with the other man.

* * *

"Acting strangely?" Geoff questioned. Dean nodded.

"Hmm, well I have not noticed Lord Rockwell acting any stranger than usual, but Adrienne does seem to be rather on edge. I think you have done the impossible and gotten to her, caught her off guard. She clearly did not expect you to be so strong." Geoff spoke.

"I beg your pardon?" Dean asked, pressing further.

"Adrienne is like a silent accomplice. She plays people until they weaken and then Lord Rockwell moves in for the final blow, they are a team, you cannot have one without the other. You are not the first stranger who has come to us, there have been several over the past few years and every one of them falls victim to her. She moves in and weakens them and when she feels they cannot be weakened any further she calls on Lord Rockwell to deliver the final blow. She lives to put people through misery. She is a cold, cold woman." Geoff spoke disgustedly, glaring at a spot not far ahead of him.

"When you say she's on edge, what do you mean?" Dean wondered.

"She is different with you, I believe she feels as though you may beat her at her game. You are not like the others that have come. You are different and she senses that. However, She has become rather protective of the garden in the back, she is always going out to check on it. Yet I do not know why she would do such a thing, nothing grows out there in the winter. If you look closely you will see that she has a well beaten path leading out to it. It is like she is trying to protect something." Geoff answered.

"Is the only thing back there the garden?" Dean asked.

Geoff thought for a moment and his face flickered with a hint of realization.

"No. Further back than the garden, in the forest behind it, perhaps a fifteen minute walk in is Adrienne's family cemetery. Her entire family is buried back there, her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings. Everyone who has ever been a part of her family or married into it. It is strange, I do not know why she would start visiting the site more often, she did not even like most of her family when they were living, let alone now that they are dead." Geoff replied.

"Strange, right." Dean replied quietly, his heart picking up pace.

"Why do you ask?" Geoff replied.

"Just wondering, she seemed a little off to me as well." Dean fibbed brilliantly.

"Then I am not the only one to notice." Geoff responded.

"Nope, guess not." Dean spoke with a smile.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Both men stood in silence, lost in their own thoughts while their eyes roamed aimlessly over each other's face, waiting for the other to speak and break the quiet that had fallen over them. Dean sighed, Geoff shifted his weight, neither man spoke. A few more moments of silence stretched for what seemed to be hours until Dean finally jumped in the waters that he had only been testing with his toe.

"What do you know about Adrienne?" Dean needed details. He needed all the details that he could get if he were to successfully vanquish her.

Geoff blinked blankly for a few seconds, taken aback at how firm Dean's voice had sounded, he hesitated before speaking. "Not much, what I told you is all that I know." Geoff replied, his face tensing in an expression which looked curiously like regret.

"You're sure?" Dean pressed.

"If I knew more I would certainly tell you. Why the sudden interest in her?"

"I don't trust her."

"Nor do I, but that does not explain why you have taken such an interest in her motives." Geoff spoke.

Silence fell again, each man searching for a flicker in the other that might drop a hint as to what the man's motives were. Both men trusted each other, but neither man truly _knew_ the other. They were from different times, of course they they didn't know each other, but it _felt _like they did, neither man had given the other reason to doubt their personalities, so why then did they suddenly feel so tense around one another?

The current situation was the culprit to that question, the guilty party was the story they were trapped in, a story that had existed for centuries, taking prey on a regular basis, a predator hidden in the night waiting for victims to come to it. The key players? John and Adrienne, obviously. The guest stars? The three men that had been helping Sam and Dean, men that had been dead for several hundred years. This game had to end, and it had to end soon and Dean was going to see to it that the key players got exactly what they deserved.

"Geoff, I need your help." Dean said, the words falling from his lips in a stern, yet cautious manner, his eyes were locked on Geoff and they saw the flicker of suspicion that danced across his face, suspicion over what Dean was planning.

"What do you intend to do?" Geoff asked carefully.

"Put an end to this, before it puts an end to Sam and me." Dean replied.

"End? Surely you are not planning a murder, are you?" Geoff questioned, his voice taking on a higher pitch as anxiety crept into it.

Dean was silent. Could you really call doing away with a ghost murder? The spirit was already dead, it had no existing physical form. Dean thought about this and his eyes clouded. These spirits _did _have physical existence, he could reach out and touch one of them just as he could reach out and touch Sam, he could feel the heat radiating off of their bodies, smell their soaps and perfumes. If he fell, Geoff could reach out and lend him a hand just like any living human being could. These spirits fit every account of being alive, but they weren't, and Dean knew that, but still.

"Lord McMorrows, I cannot help you commit a murder!" Geoff hissed.

Dean thought quickly. "Murder? Whatever made you think that? I'm not going to murder anyone, I just need you to take me to the cemetery that Adrienne has been visiting. There's something that I want to check into."

Geoff sighed and was visibly relieved, but his face soon turned to a look of confusion.

"Why would you want to go back there?" The man questioned.

"I can't explain, I just need to get there." Dean answered.

"Get where?" Came a voice from nearby. Dean's heart leapt into his throat and fluttered there. He turned toward it, his breath coming in quick inhalations. He was greeted with the dark, stormy eyes of Lord Rockwell.

"It's none of your damn business." Dean hissed.

"When it concerns Adrienne, it _is_." John snapped.

"This has nothing to do with the bitch." Dean returned.

"Why then, did I overhear her name several times?"

"You must've been hearing things."

"Then why does Geoffrey seem to be on edge?" John asked, nodding to the young man next to Dean whose face had gone pale and he was licking parched lips while his breath rattled quickly in his chest.

"Maybe he can see you for who you _really_ are, a man who doesn't care about anything but power and stroking his huge..."

"ENOUGH!" John snapped, cutting Dean off.

John turned on Geoff, who was struggling to gain control over himself, not wishing to place Dean in any danger, yet his emotions crashed over him like a waterfall, blocking everything out except the fight or flight response. He wanted to turn and run, yet he didn't want to place Dean in John's line of fire. The man had already nearly killed Dean once, Geoff was damned if he was going to let that happen a second time. He breathed deeply, calming himself as best as he could without making it obvious what he was doing and narrowed his eyes as John glared coldly at them.

"What we were discussing does not concern you _or_ her." Geoff said, lying clumsily.

Dean cast his eyes to Geoff, glad for the attempts that the man was making to protect him.

"Can you please keep it down? The boy is trying to res..." The Doctor snapped as he appeared in the door frame a few feet in front of John. When he noticed Lord Rockwell, he stopped short of finishing his sentence and Dean could physically see him tense up and grow uncomfortable.

"What boy, doctor?" John hissed, stepping forward in an attempt to gain a look into the room where Sam was sleeping.

The doctor stepped in front of John and drew his shoulders back, his face hardening. There was no way he was going to let Lord Rockwell pass through the door, he had a patient to protect.

"My patients do not concern you, their wellbeing is _my_ responsibility."

"Let me pass." John hissed.

"I will not, the patient is ill with a possible contagion. I refuse to let anyone except for myself near him so please, turn and walk away." The doctor spoke steadily, his voice not wavering.

"A contagion? What type of illness does he have and who is it?" John wondered.

"I do not know his exact sickness, but I am doing what I can to find out."

"Who is he?" John snapped.

"A servant, you would not know him because you do not interact with servants as I recall you describe them as 'rabid dogs in need of execution before they spread disease to the entire population.' You have had no previous interest in the servants, so why now must you be so insistent on the identity of this man?"

"Have you forgotten? We have an escaped prisoner roaming the grounds somewhere, forgive me for being so intrigued in the identity of your patient." John said, sounding somewhat bothered.

"I have not forgotten, but I assure you, the man in that bed is not the man for whom you are searching. Do you honestly believe that I would withhold information about an escaped prisoner if I had had contact with him?" The doctor argued.

"Perhaps you would." John hissed.

The doctor glared and stepped forward, standing up straight and looking directly in John's eyes, despite the fact that he was slightly shorter than Lord Rockwell.

"Let me in." John stated. The doctor shook his head and then suddenly coughed and covered his mouth only slightly. A few seconds passed before the doctor coughed once again, more violently this time and he cleared his throat.

"Oh dear, it seems that the patient may be contagious after all. As a doctor, my advice for you would be to turn and leave the area before you become infected as well."

John glared at the shorter man, but didn't ask questions. He huffed and turned on his heel, storming off in the opposite direction. Doctor Grayson exhaled and his face fell in an extreme expression of relief. Dean smiled tightly and the doctor returned the action and turned to go back into the room with Sam. Geoff's eyes darted to Dean, silently asking that he continue what he had been speaking of before the interruption.

"Now, why do you need me to accompany you to the cemetery?" Geoff questioned.

"I don't know where it is and you seem to." Dean spoke.

Geoff nodded. "But what is it that you want to _check into_?"

"Adrienne's family." Dean replied. He wasn't going to tell Geoff he was looking for _Adrienne's_ tomb stone because that just wouldn't go over well and it would definitely put the young blonde on edge, not to mention cause uneasiness between the two of them and at the moment that was the _last_ thing that Dean wanted.

Geoff stared blankly, not understanding the reasoning behind Dean's request.

"Please Geoff, it's very important that I get there."

"Why? What is so important?" Geoff questioned anxiously, his voice rising slightly.

"Survival." Dean spoke.

"Survival? What do you mean?"

"If I can't do what I need to do then it is very likely that both Sam and myself and likely you and Doctor Grayson as well, will die." Dean replied.

"Die?" Geoff whispered.

"Yes, now I need you to take me to that graveyard. Please." Dean replied, trying his best to reach the man standing in front of him.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

The snow that had drifted over the beaten path that Geoff had pointed out slid lightly over the feet of the two men as they walked. The air was cold and their breath created patches of fog that wisped around them as they continued on.

"Are both Adrienne and John buried in this place?" Dean questioned and was greeted by a curious glance from Geoff.

"They are not dead, but when they _do_ die I believe they have already created their tombs."

"John too?"

"Yes, Adrienne granted him permission for burial in her family cemetery, she even wished it."

"That's good news." Dean mumbled to himself.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, never mind. Do you know where they're buried?"

"Yes, I know where they _will_ be buried. Why all the strange questions?"

"The answers will either make my job harder or easier." Dean spoke.

"What job?" Geoff wondered.

"The tombs you're talking about, are they above ground?" Dean asked, ignoring Geoff's question.

"Yes, why?"

"That information doesn't matter to anyone but me, I'd rather not bore you with the details."

The walk continued in silence for another five minutes before Dean broke it.

"How much further?" The oldest Winchester wondered.

"Not far now, if you look just there you can see some of the larger stones and tombs." Geoff stated, pointing through the trees to where several shadowy shapes stood against the crisp white snow and ice-covered trees.

"I think it'd be best if I continued on alone. I need you to stay here and watch for anyone coming. Stay out of sight and if you hear anything make sure I know about it." Dean replied.

"Very well, but I am afraid that I still do not understand your _job_." Geoff responded.

Dean smiled. "It's okay, you don't need to, just keep a look out."

Geoff nodded.

* * *

"They're gone? Where?" Sam questioned.

"I overheard them talking about the cemetery on the back lot." Doctor Grayson stated.

"There's a cemetery?" Sam asked quickly.

"Yes, it belongs to Adrienne's family." The doctor replied, suddenly confused over Sam's heightened interest in the subject.

"I have to go there." Sam said simply and pushed the blankets back off of him.

"You will do no such thing, your symptoms have only barely subsided, going back out into the cold would be sure to worsen them." Doctor Grayson stated quickly, placing a restraining hand on Sam's shoulder.

"You don't understand, I have to get out there and help." Sam argued.

"You have to remain here and get well." The doctor replied as Sam pushed the doctor's hand away and got to his feet.

"I'm going." The youngest brother said firmly.

"You damn fool, how do you expect to get well by trudging out into that blasphemous weather?" The Doctor complained.

"I appreciate your concern, but I have to help do this." Sam said.

"Do what? Sam, what are you talking about? What is so important about that cemetery?"

"I can't explain, I just have to get out there."

"I do not understand." The doctor replied, watching Sam closely, concern etched over his aging features.

"You don't have to, you just have to avoid mentioning this to Adrienne or John, or anyone. Dean's life and my own depend on your ability to keep this quiet." Sam stated.

"Sam, I would not endanger your life by mentioning your location to another. Especially if that other is either Lord Rockwell or Adrienne. But I do not know why it is so important that you get out there and put yourself at risk for further illness."

"Just promise me you won't tell." Sam replied again.

"I promise."

"That's all I need. Thanks." Sam replied before grabbing a cloak from the wardrobe and draping it over his shoulder, fastening it at the front and pulling the hood up to conceal his head, leaving his face in shadows. He walked quickly from the room and vanished into the hall.

"Be careful." Doctor Grayson hissed under his breath.

* * *

"Where are you, bitch? I've got a little something for you." Dean replied to the empty cemetery as he searched the names on the crypts and stones for those of Adrienne and John.

He treaded over the beaten path, in hopes that it would lead him to his destination, only to find out that it took him all around the cemetery. Finally he saw what he was searching for and hurried up to it, but before he got within three feet of Adrienne's crypt a sharp, shock travelled through his entire body, sending him crumpling to the ground, cursing madly.

"It couldn't have been as simple as a salt and burn, of course not. There's a key. The damn things _always_ have a key! A key...what could be a key?" Dean muttered to himself, running through possibilities in his head.

It had to be something Adrienne considered priceless...if _she_ was even the one running this whole freak show! Maybe it was John, the bastard was cold enough to run the show, but would he know how? To Dean, he seemed all brawn and not enough brain to pull something as complex as this off. John and Adrienne knew about the curse, of course they knew, they kept enough secrets, that was for sure and Adrienne had been tromping through her dead family's cemetery, so she had to know the details of the messed up game. He picked himself shakily up off the ground and attempted to approach John's crypt which was a few feet to the left of Adrienne's, a similar shock travelled through him, but he was prepared for it this time and was able to hold his footing, only shuddering slightly when the jolt travelled through him.

"Damn it!" Dean cursed loudly, his words bubbling with anger and frustration.

* * *

Geoff pressed himself further into the bushes in an attempt to hide himself from passing eyes. He felt the snow melt into his clothes as he crouched in the drifts, but it made no difference to him, he just had to keep out of sight and watch for anyone approaching the cemetery, _especially_ John or Adrienne.

He heard snow crunching from up the path and every muscle in his body tensed. He was immediately put on edge, unable to remain relaxed, something that he was attempting that wasn't yielding any results. He'd been through this feeling more times than he could count while helping innocent people escape Adrienne's lust for execution of those who she found to be bothersome or threatening. It was a power lust was what it was, nothing more than a want for power, for control, for the ability to murder with the simple utterance of a few simple words. Adrienne was in love with power and she wasn't willing to give that love affair up for anything, even if it meant saving the life of an innocent person.

Geoff squirmed uncomfortably in the wet snow and his eyes locked on the path, watching it for the first signs of a visual. He waited for what seemed like forever but was really only a minute or two until he could finally see a shadow coming up the path. He readied himself and his hand moved to the knife secured at his belt, ready to attack. All of his senses were activated, playing their part in providing Geoff with at least _some_ control.

The shadow grew closer and Geoff's muscles tightened, every part of him being held rigid and waiting. The shadow drew nearer and Geoff was soon able to make out a shape as it came towards him. He didn't hesitate, he leapt from the bushes and tackled the victim to the ground, receiving a sharp jab in return, followed by a string of curses from the man he had grounded. He sprung back, eyes wide and began apologizing profusely as Doctor Grayson picked himself up off of the ground, a look of annoyance painted on his features as he dusted the snow from his clothes.

"Doctor, I am incredibly sorry, I thought you were someone else." Geoff apologized.

"Clearly. I certainly hope you did not take Sam down in the same fashion as you did me." The doctor replied before blinking in confusion at Geoff's puzzled features.

"Sam?"

"Yes, he left a few moments before myself to come here."

"He has not been by."

"What do you mean he has not been by? He was on his way here." Doctor Grayson stated with concern.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

Sam stepped outside and inhaled the icy air as it tore through his lungs and momentarily choked him. He drew a few deep breaths and then started towards the back lot where doctor Grayson had mentioned a cemetery stood. His feet crunched over the snow and the sun glared off of the crisp white of the land and bounced back into his eyes, causing sun spots to dance across in front of them as they adjusted to the change in illumination. He cleared his throat, pulled the hood tighter and continued on, making sure his face was well hidden.

Voices drifted to him and he went rigid as he recognized one of them belonged to John Rockwell and the man was speaking with a guard. Sam immediately altered course and went in the opposite direction. Why walk into trouble when it can simply be avoided? Granted the direction that he had been forced to switch to would take slightly longer to reach his destination, but it was worth it if he wasn't going to get tossed behind bars again.

He dropped his head to look at the ground as he walked, avoiding any chance eye-contact with either man. He coughed slightly, muting it as much as possible to avoid detection and cleared his throat. He heard the voices drawing closer and heard John bid farewell to the guard, instructing him to search the grounds once more for the prisoner. With a mumbled response the guard tramped off, Sam heard the guard's footfalls grow fainter, yet another set of footsteps grew louder. Sam's heart pounded rapidly and he picked up his pace in an attempt to stay out of sight of Lord Rockwell. He cursed under his breath when he heard the other man calling to him.

"You there!" Rockwell called. Sam kept walking, ignoring the call, but he heard running footsteps behind him and felt a cold hand grab his arm, he kept his face turned away and focused on the ground, not making eye contact, he couldn't let Rockwell see his face.

"Why did you ignore my call?" John accused and Sam cleared his throat.

"I uh...I believed that you were calling to another." Sam replied, trying his best to disguise his voice and keep up with the dialogue used by the spirits of the place.

"There are no others." John replied.

"Please, forgive me then it was not my intention to ignore you." Sam stated. _Actually, yes it was._ Sam thought silently, _but it's not like I'm gonna tell you that._

"What are you doing on the grounds?" John asked curiously, but not rudely.

"I was...uh..." _Great, how are you gonna weasel your way out of this one?_ Sam wondered.

"Just passing through." Sam finalized. _Oh yeah, real good one Sam, could you think of anything lamer? Just passing through, you've just opened the door to a whole whack of questioning, just what you wanted, draw attention from the bad guys who are after you._ Sam scolded himself.

"Just passing through? On your way to where?" John asked.

_Told ya so...think of something quick._

"Home." Sam said simply.

"Which is where?"

"Down in the village, I was out in the forest gathering herbs, the woods surrounding your home are really the best places for finding rare plants." Sam replied, proud of his sudden brainwave to get him out of trouble.

"But you have no bag to gather herbs in." John replied suspiciously.

_Crap! Never thought of that...now what?_

"I have none, I use my pockets." Sam replied. _Okay Rockwell, you can shut your face and let me walk away now._

"Why will you not look me in the eye when you are speaking?" John questioned.

Sam was silent. _Okay, think fast, don't look at him, just keep looking down, make something up...deformity? Nah, to cliche. Royalty? Good one, but it might make his head swell...who cares? At least if you flatter him he might be too full of himself to push you any further._

"I am simply showing respect for your position of power." Sam replied.

"My good man, you need not do that, look at me. Let me see your face." John stated proudly.

"No sir, I cannot." Sam stated. _Damn it!_

"I just gave you permission. Why do you believe that you cannot look at me?"

"I just cannot."

"Look at me man!" John snapped and wrenched Sam's head up, pulling the hood back. Rockwell's eyes widened when Sam raised his eyes to meet his own...

* * *

"Damn it, the thing's protected!" Dean hissed as he stormed to the location that he knew Geoff was waiting at. He was shocked to find doctor Grayson there as well and both men looking concerned.

"Doc? What's the matter? Did something happen to Sam?" Dean asked immediately, his chest tightening.

"We do not know. He left to come in search of you and I followed him shortly after, only to find out that he has not yet arrived." The doctor replied.

"You let him leave?" Dean asked, his voice a low growl as his eyes flashed.

"I asked him not to, advised against it, but he refused to listen." Doctor Grayson replied.

"No, he wouldn't. Damn it Sam!" Dean cursed.

Geoff's eyes were clouded with concern over the youngest brother's fate. He knew what happened to escaped prisoners if they were caught a second time...immediate execution, on the spot if at all possible and the grounds were crawling with guards, there was no way that Sam would be able to escape them all, especially if he was spotted. He could only hope that the young man was smart enough to stay out of sight, it was is only chance.

"We're going after him, he's got to be around here somewhere. You say he was coming here?" Dean asked. The doctor nodded.

"Then all we have to do is start back and hope we run into him. Sam's smart, he's got a good head on his shoulders, he'll find a way around the guards, he's been taught well." Dean replied, more to console himself than two men with him.

No argument came from either man and they turned to go back.

"Let's split, it'll look less suspicious if we wander on our own than in a group of three, especially if we run into John or Adrienne." Dean suggested and got peculiar looks from the other two men. He sighed.

"Go in separate directions, we'll cover more ground that way and have a better chance of finding Sam." Dean replied and got nods of approval and understanding from both Geoff and the doctor.

"Good, left, right, centre, meet back at the front entrance and if we haven't found him by then we'll look again." Dean ordered and took the centre path while Geoff and Doctor Grayson went left and right respectively.

**A/N: I know, this chapter's shorter, but it's late and I figured giving you something to chew on tonight would be better than nothing. Besides, it seems like an appropriate place to stop, don't you agree?? Until next chapter, enjoy this one! I promise a longer chapter to come sometime in the immediate future!**


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

Lord Rockwell tightened the until-now, gentle grasp that he had on Sam's arm and the youngest brother winced as the other man's long fingers laced around his forearm and dug into the skin, sending a solid pain message throughout his entire body, screaming up his arm and branching out in all directions. Sam's instincts kicked in and he immediately lashed out with his foot, making a solid connection with the other man's knee. John yelled out and instinctively let go of Sam to grab his leg. Sam moved in for the attack, sending a shower of blows down on the man below him, who writhed in pain. Sam smiled in satisfaction as he landed a particularly hard kick to John's abdomen, but was taken aback when the man on the ground whipped his leg out, tripping the youngest Winchester and taking him down in a shower of snow as it fluttered angrily around them, having been kicked up from the ground during the exchange between the two men. Sam landed hard, and it stunned him for less than a second, but that was long enough for John Rockwell to turn the tables on the young brother and pull the odds in his favour. Sam grunted as the man kicked out at him, striking him in the ribs and then in the back when Sam rolled over to escape any further damage to his front.

_Damn it! Bastard got the upper hand!_ Sam thought fleetingly to himself as he sheltered himself from another blow, attempting to plot his next move. He was taken by surprise once again when John wrenched him over onto his back and dropped to his knees, pinning Sam with the most ease that the youngest brother had ever seen. He yelped as a palm fell hard onto his sternum, just beneath the collar bone, leaving him breathless. He coughed and gasped as he tried to refill his lungs with air, all the while cursing the man who had him pinned. It was the only pleasure he was going to get out of this predicament as the words poured colourfully from his mouth in chopped sentences as he tried to regain breath.

_Gotta catch him while he's not suspecting it...yeah right, how am I supposed to do that? He's kinda got me right where he wants me. How am I going to catch him off gaurd? __ Well, I might be able to if he thinks he's gotten the best of me, and then I strike out when he thinks he's won...Quick Sam, play dead!_ The youngest brother thought to himself and for just a second, stopped fighting back and damn it, he instantly regretted it as John's assault increased. _Okay bad plan, he wants to make sure I'm not gonna get up and run off, don't let him carry on like that, you can take him, you know what you've been taught..._ A sharp kick caught Sam in the jaw, Sam made no motion to fight back, he only winced and hissed. _Damn it, that one hurt! C'mon Sam, you can take this guy out, you're a hunter, he's not, you kill his kind every day! Why is he any different? He's not! Take the fight back, don't you dare let him win!_ Sam continued silently cheering himself on until he finally found the strength within his battered body to fight back. He lashed out and was proud when he was able to grab Lord Rockwell by the ankle and pull the large man off of his feet. John fell with a thud and a curse and Sam leapt on top of him to begin taking the battle back. He was in control again, but it wasn't soon enough. A sharp hit to the back of his head tossed him to the side and stunned him. Through blurred vision he saw a gathering of three or four guards that had come to the aide of Lord Rockwell with swords drawn and one of the men had taken it upon himself to land a blow with the handle of his sword to Sam's head, hard.

_Damn it! Of course it couldn't be easy, after all Dean and I have been through, I don't even know what easy is anymore, but this definitely isn't it. This is not good._ Sam thought as the guards surrounded him and gazed down on him with malice in their eyes. He was outnumbered and beaten, every part of his body screamed in agony and he could barely see straight thanks to the most recent hit. Why did things have to be so difficult? Why couldn't he, just once, actually get through something without injury? Bodily harm was just what he needed to kick his bitch of a cold...yeah right, things couldn't get much worse.

"What should we do with him?" One of the guards questioned the still battle-stunned John.

"Execute him, right here, right now, I want him gone so he will not cause us any more grief." Rockwell stated weakly.

Then again, maybe they could...he seriously hated everything right now...

* * *

Geoff rushed through the snow on the way back to the main grounds in search of Sam. He heard voices and saw a gathering of guards surrounding a man, Lord Rockwell stood a few feet away, looking a little worse for wear, but sporting an amazingly haughty expression as he watched the man in the middle of the guards with angry eyes. It had to be Sam, and he had to do something before the guards killed the young man where he lay. He looked around and saw Doctor Grayson and Dean also investigating the gathering, the terrified look on Dean's face confirmed Geoff's suspicions about the man in the thick of the group. He watched as Dean surveyed the scene and quietly rushed forward, he nodded to the doctor and then to Geoff and Geoff picked up his pace as he saw the doctor do the same and make his way to the group.

Dean was the first to arrive and he immediately threw himself into the action by charging and tackling the guard that held his sword to Sam's throat. Doctor Grayson ran forward and likewise took down another guard, clearing a path to Sam. Geoff could see the young man clearly now, Sam lay in the snow, struggling to pick himself up to lend a hand.

Geoff's eyes surveyed the fight as he rushed toward it and saw with some surprise that Dean and Doctor Grayson were actually getting the upper hand against the guards, three of them lay unconscious in the snow, three remained, plus John. Geoff grinned as he saw Dean drop another guard. If he didn't hurry, he'd miss his part in the action. He ran the last few feet between himself and the others Geoff lunged at John and the two men fell in a heap on the ground, but John was quite a bit stronger than Geoff and the young blonde was quickly tossed aside. He hit the ground, stunned and struggled to regain his feet as John turned to where Dean had rushed to Sam's aide and was helping the younger man and examining him for injuries. Sam saw John raise a knife and approach Dean, but was still too groggy to warn his brother, as much as he tried, he found Dean shushing him and attempting to console him. Clearly not understanding that Sam was trying to warn Dean of something incredibly important.

The doctor was still trying to gather himself and was currently of no use. Geoff fought through the disorientation and shot to his feet, charging the short distance between him and Lord Rockwell. Sam summoned enough strength to raise his arm and point behind his brother with a broken cry of " D'en lo' ou'!" Unable to fully complete a word and Dean turned as Geoff charged Lord Rockwell and grounded him.

A pained cry escaped Geoff's lips as he landed solidly on top of the Rockwell, only to once again be tossed aside. However this time, Dean was ready, he was well aware of Lord Rockwell's plans and he moved in for the kill after Geoff had been thrown aside. With a single, swift motion, Dean grabbed a sword from one of the fallen guards and ran John through with it. In less than thirty seconds, John howled in pain and fell still beneath Dean's blade, gasping pathetically as the life drained from his body. All at once the air electrified with the sensation of a shock falling violently down onto both Winchester brothers as well as Geoff, the doctor and all others in the immediate area. Somewhere nearby a woman screamed in a fit of rage and sorrow, the agonizing sound slicing through the buzzing tone that had broken out around the battle area. All those present gasped as the scream pierced their ears, sending shocks of pain through them in combination with the static that was licking each one of them in a slight, but constant stream.

"What the hell?" Dean cursed, wrenching his eyes shut against the pain that was now coursing through him.

Finally the sounds and pain subsided, leaving all present huffing through the aftereffects of whatever had just happened. Dean's fingers were numb and his head felt like it was tearing itself apart from the inside out, he raised his hands to his ears in an attempt to shut out the ringing that had now taken up residence there and was surprised to find his palms came away smeared with blood that was running from his ears and down the sides of his face. A quick look around showed Sam suffering the same symptoms as well as the doctor. He searched the area for Geoff and saw a similar situation with the blonde only a few feet away from him.

"Everybody okay?" Dean questioned when the ringing in his head had stopped. He rubbed his fingertips under his right ear canal and was satisfied to find that the bleeding had stopped. His attention immediately went to Sam, who was blinking rapidly and finally regaining coherence.

"What...what was that?" Sam questioned in confusion that was increased by the remaining effects of the blow he had received to the head.

Dean shrugged, "I dunno Sammy." But further dwelling on the events caused a small alarm to go off in the back of his head, he tried to grasp for it and was finally able to pull the very corner of it to the front of his mind.

The key. Of course, a curse had a key, Dean knew that. A key would be something that Adrienne held incredibly close to her, something she was protective of, something that mattered a lot to her. The key had been John Rockwell. It had to have been, it explained the events that followed his death, it also explained why Dean was able to kill him. The key had to be vulnerable, likely something that Adrienne had created. Not that John Rockwell hadn't been a real person at some point in the past. Of course he had been and he clearly had meant a great deal to Adrienne, which explained why he would be the key. She had recreated John Rockwell to her liking, to her standards and she had made him a threat to all others, especially William McMorrows. Had William McMorrows ever been a real person? Perhaps, perhaps not. It was very possible that each time the curse replayed the characters changed to create an entirely new story, and it was also possible that all who had been taken in the past years that this curse had existed played a different role each time the story began. The tale changed in accordance to who had been chosen to become a part of it, the story changed to fit the people it took hostage. It made sense, it seemed likely, but was it really the way things went? Dean didn't know, but he was willing to bet on it. His eyes shifted to where Doctor Grayson was picking himself up off of the ground and shakily making his way toward Sam and Dean.

"You okay doc?" Dean asked, his eyes giving the older man a once over.

"Yes, I believe so, yourselves?"

Dean nodded, as did Sam. Dean's eyes then shifted to where Geoff was attempting to get himself up without much success, he smiled a bit, got to his feet and made his way over to where the blonde was wincing. He held a hand out for Geoff to take.

"Need a hand?" Dean questioned.

Geoff nodded, "Yes, thank you." He stated and reached for Dean's offered help, only to yelp as pain sliced through him. His hands immediately went to the right side of his stomach, just below his ribs and he cursed colourfully, catching all by surprise.

"Doc, get you ass over here!" Dean replied as he saw the crimson liquid run out from under Geoff's hands, staining his white shirt.

Doctor Grayson did as he was told and scooted on his hands and knees the two feet to where Geoff lay, Dean now knelt next to him. Sam had gathered enough strength to slowly make his way to where the action was and he came to a stop next to his kneeling brother, pulling himself weakly to his knees to examine the damage. His throat caught in his chest as he saw what Dean had called the doctor over for.

Geoff's face had paled and he was shaking as shock started to take hold of the young man. All eyes were on Geoff as he struggled to understand just what exactly had happened to get him here. Then he remembered. That stab of pain he'd felt when he had tackled Lord Rockwell to the ground the second time, that had been the knife that John had been intending to use on Dean. John had slid it into him as he fell, what a bastard Geoff's mind was cloudy as realization dawned on him.

"This might be it, I am going to die right here, right now, in the presence of a doctor who cannot save me and two men who I tried to help. This is really it." Geoff replied, he hadn't been intending to speak aloud, but it just so happened that the words slid through his lips before he was able to stop them.

"No it's not, you're talking crazy talk, it's only a flesh wound, you'll be fine. Doc Grayson will fix ya right up." Dean comforted as the doctor examined the knife injury, his face clouding over when Geoff claimed that he would be unable to help, he was damned if he was going to let this man die, he wasn't an incompetent doctor, but the wound was severe and the bleeding wasn't seeming to stop, but Geoff's sudden distrust in his abilities was not making things any easier as his pride protested to such harsh words coming from a patient that he was caring for.

Geoff's unfocused eyes slid lazily to the doctor and watched him in silent question, speaking to him without words, asking: _Is it true?_ The doctor smiled softly, he'd do his best and hope that it was good enough. He nodded, but it must have been unconvincing because Geoff's face fell as he saw the strain and regret behind the mask that the doctor had attempted to slide on.

"Just do what you are able to." Geoff whispered softly before slipping into unconsciousness.

"I will." The doctor returned.

"It is a waste of time, you will not be able to save him." Came a cold voice from nearby and all eyes turned to see Adrienne standing there, tears streaming down her face and her eyes were bloodshot from crying, but her expression was one of stony anger, un-hidden and as convincing as anything any of the three men had ever seen.

"Perhaps not, but I am going to try." Doctor Grayson spat at her, applying pressure to the wound with a piece of material that he had torn from his shirt.

"No, you will step away from him right now or I will kill you where you are." Adrienne replied sharply.

"I will not step away." Doctor Grayson replied, just as cold and continued his treatment on Geoff who was slowly crawling his way back to consciousness.

"Then you will die." Adrienne spoke and the doctor was tossed violently back away from Geoffrey and fell in a still heap on the ground and Dean knew that he was dead without even checking.

The Winchesters faces clouded with remorse, their hearts pounding rapidly against their chests, each man wanting to do the same to Adrienne as she had done to the doctor, and swearing that they would. It didn't matter if Geoff or the doctor were already dead, had been for years, the fact remained that they were still friends to the boys and they swore to avenge them no matter what. However, to do that, they had to do away with Adrienne and whatever was left of John's spirit, if anything. Perhaps the sole purpose of his presence had been in the role of the key to the curse, but they weren't about to take any chances.

"You bitch!" Dean accused. Adrienne only smiled.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Yes I know, it's been FAR to long, but I'm back with this story, sorry for the long wait, but I was dealing with writer's block for a while, at least on THIS story, here's the newest chapter! Enjoy! Leave me your thoughts if you're still out there reading!**

**CHAPTER 18**

The tension hung heavy in the air, nobody spoke. Adrienne glared at the Winchesters, the Winchesters glared back. A soft, nearly inaudible groan came from where Geoff lay, fighting his way slowly back to consciousness, not wishing to spend what he assumed were his last moments in darkness. He forced his eyes open and struggled to keep them there, he did not want to fall asleep for he knew that if he did he would not wake up again. His eyes drifted to the still form of the doctor and his heart fluttered hopelessly in his chest.

The doctor had been a good friend and it was a shame to lose such a man. From there, his eyes journeyed to each Winchester brother stationed next to him and then to Adrienne before roaming aimlessly across the grounds. He drew his attention back to the situation at hand, this was not going to turn out well, he could feel it in his stomach that churned and made him feel nauseous. He swallowed thickly and tried to focus, but the picture in front of him blurred and shifted, spinning and dipping, making him feel sick.

He drew a breath through his nose and released it shakily from his mouth as his eyes returned to his dead friend sprawled on the clean, white snow. His eyes lingered there for what seemed like an eternity and the entire world droned down to a constant tone of ringing as he watched the doctor. He caught himself falling back into the talons of unconsciousness and fought against it. He wearily lifted his head to face the two brothers, wondering what was going through their minds, it had to have been something, there _always_ seemed to be something going through their minds.

He shifted position, trying to sit up straight and a yelp caught in his throat, being ripped from his mouth in a shuddering groan that caught the attention of the three people who were now locked in a face-off. The world spun again, his vision greyed out and melted together in a landscape of fuzziness as a rushing sound raged through his head, he blinked, trying to focus on the world around him, but found it more difficult than it should have been. He was slipping away and he knew it, but he wasn't ready to go, not yet, not while the Winchesters were helpless in a showdown against Adrienne the only words that came in the silence were those of Dean as he insulted Adrienne for what she had just done.

"You bitch!" Were the words that Geoff could just barely make out over the ringing in his ears and the rushing in his head.

Although his vision was mingled and distorted, he knew Adrienne was smiling, it sent chills through him, crippling him as he felt her malice in the air and sensed the tension emanating from the two men next to him. He blinked again and for a split second his vision cleared enough for him to see Adrienne cross in front of him to stand closer to the two brothers gazing at her in disgust. He watched in silent horror as Dean was tossed back and away from him to land in a heap on the ground and yell out in surprise as he hit the cold earth.

"Watch where you're directing your insults." Adrienne spoke slickly, her voice smoothly rolling from her tongue to where Dean was painfully picking himself up from the ground.

The oldest brother tried to take a step forward, but found himself unable to do so, frozen to the spot and fighting against the woman who now held him in her power. He cursed in a voice that was nothing above a whisper as he slowly felt the breath being strangled from his lungs. He panted and gasped, his eyes widening, while his hands twisted into fists in the snow, he wasn't even aware of the chill, he had more pressing matters to deal with, like breathing for instance.

"Dean!" Sam shouted from next to Geoff, who was slightly surprised at the sheer anguish echoing in the younger brother's cry.

Adrienne approached Dean, smirking at the cry that had come from the younger brother. She ignored the younger for now, her wishes lay with the oldest brother. She knelt in front of him, watching him gasp as she choked the air out of him. Suddenly Dean gasped as Adrienne let go of the hold she had over him. She didn't want to kill him yet, she wanted to enjoy this moment, wanted to enjoy the sight of the oldest Winchester left helpess in her power, on his knees before her, his lips working as he swallowed in the icy air. She reached forward and snagged his face, her hand curling around his chin. He stared cooly at her, his eyes storming with unspoken threats. She pulled his lips close to hers and kissed him softly and longingly. He struggled, but to no avail as he felt the life being drained from him, his lips burning as she drew the energy and warmth he held within him out. He started shivering, collapsing limply into the kiss, not because he wanted to, but because he had no other choice, she was draining him.

"Dean!" Sam cried again and lunged to his feet, meaning to go to his brother's aid, but what was he going to do? How was he going to take down a ghost who held his brother in a vicious lip-lock? His mind worked overtime, his eyes wandered to where Geoff lay shivering, his glassy eyes locked on Dean and Adrienne and Sam was sure he could see terror within them. Sam shrugged off his jacket and placed it over Geoff before his eyes returned to Dean.

Dean pulled back once more and was able to break the connection slightly, he saw Sam struggling with what to do, the younger's eyes slipping between Dean and Geoff and he honestly looked pitiful.

"Sam, burn the bitch!" Dean replied, mustering enough strength to raise his voice enough so the younger man could hear him.

He saw Sam shake his head in realization and the man's cheeks flushed for not thinking of that sooner. He nodded and started to sprint through the snow, Dean only prayed that Adrienne wouldn't notice and disgust roiling throughout him, he lunged forward and once again locked his lips with hers in one of the most disturbing means of distraction he had ever done. She returned the kiss greedily, the attention that she had been paying to Sam now lost as her desires won out. After all, she _had _been human once and humans were controlled by their desire.

* * *

Sam released the breath that he had been holding as he rushed over the snow, hoping that Adrienne wouldn't notice. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Dean force himself upon her and he cringed, knowing damn well that Dean would not have done such a thing had there been another option, but apprently one could not be seen and so Dean resorted to the only thing he could, returning to the previous make-out session.

Sam rushed through the trees, ignoring the sting of the branches as they snapped him in the face, he stumbled and fell forward in the snow, but picked himself back up and pressed on, searching frantically for the cemetery that he knew was there. He searched the ground in front of him for footprints from his brother's previous trek to the graveyard and slowed to a stop when he realized that Dean's footprints were nowhere to be found. Damn it! Was he going in the wrong direction? There had to be footprints from Dean's earlier venture. His eyes looked for the path as he jogged to the right, nothing, then to the left of the trail he had been breaking. Nothing.

Sam continued to search, dropping to kneel as he searched beneath the brush for a broken path, he got to his feet and ran ahead a little before searching once more, there was nothing anywhere, no trails, no signs, nothing. If Sam didn't know better he would be tempted to think that there really was no cemetery there, but he was certain that one existed, he just had to find it, and quickly! He continued looking for a path through the trees, a trail that had been well broken in, he was going to find this graveyard...


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Wow, two updates in one night, aren't you all special? It has become my new goal to finsh this story before continuing my newest one ELEMENT (if you haven't yet read it, I'd suggest checking it out, I'm lacking readers for that one). Here's the next update! And a couple more chapters should just about complete this story. Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 19**

Dean felt the world dipping and spinning around him and he knew he was running out of time, damn it he wished Sammy would hurry up with the salt and burn, he'd left the supplies there, fully intending to return himself after the protective barrier had been broken down, but clearly things weren't going according to plan. Then again, when to things _ever_ go according to plan? Something like that just didn't happen for the Winchesters, plan was a word that didn't exist in the family vocabulary.

_Christ, Sammy, hurry up will ya?_ Dean thought to himself and felt Adrienne pull away with a soft sigh.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but you'll be dead before Sam pulls himself together and realizes what actually took place." Adrienne spoke softly, almost sounding sympathetic, but not quite.

"What did you do?" Dean asked, surprised by how weak his voice sounded.

"He will certainly find the cemetery, but he won't find _my_ bones." The woman hissed.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

Adrienne kissed Dean's neck, her lips lingering a little too long.

"I'm not there." She spoke mysteriously.

"What the hell?" Dean questioned, pulling back weakly from Adrienne's cold breath on his neck.

"I'm not there, my crypt is there, but I'm not, it is a different body."

"Bitch!" Dean hissed.

"You really have to stop calling me that, because we're going to be together for a very long time. Of course, you won't remember, not after you die and become a part of the game, nobody does."

Dean watched her quizzically, not sure what to say.

"Ask Geoffrey if you do not believe me, ask any one person in my home. Ask them who they are and I can assure you that their answers will not be truthful."

Geoff heard these words through the haze that was taking over once again. What did she mean by that? He couldn't think clearly enough to work through the meaning of her words, but they made him curious.

"Sam's gonna find you and you're gonna salt and burn, bitch." Dean threatened.

Adrienne sighed and rolled her eyes in an exasperated manner, she really hated that word.

"You think I haven't heard _that_ before? You and your brother are not the first hunters, there have been others. Sadly, none of them were able to succeed and I killed them and brought them into my little game. Take Doctor Grayson for example, he was a hunter once." Adrienne said.

Dean's eyes drifted to the doctor's body, laying crumpled on the snow.

"He's been here a while, and time has not been gentle to him. He was only twenty seven when he tried to hunt me down and kill me, he did not get far. Actually you and Sam were the closest that I can recall, but that will not matter soon enough, I will bring you both into this game and you will become like the others, my servants, or in your case, my plaything." Adrienne stated and Dean's eyes narrowed.

"No thanks." Dean replied.

Adrienne didn't speak she simply pulled his lips to hers once more for a long, passionate kiss before pulling back and watching Dean's head drop weakly to his chest. It had begun, his transformation that is. She'd tried it once before, but Sam had to come and ruin everything, he just _had_ to remind him of who he really was. But not this time, this time she would be sure to keep the oldest brother.

Dean's head rolled to the side as he tried to pull himself back to full consciousness. His entire body was on fire, his fingers tingled from the cold and his hands were numb, he no longer felt his knees or claves, the cold had gotten to him. He blinked heavily and suddenly felt his head explode with pain. Images flashed before his eyes. A dark haired woman, a blonde man, and older man, his head screamed as the images continued to bombard him, but as the images assaulted him, he couldn't help but feel something, some part of him slipping away.

Geoff watched Dean's head fall to his chest and his heart immediately started pounding in his chest, he struggled to sit, trying to ignore the pain he was feeling, trying to avoid the darkness that was calling to him. He saw Dean's head jerk up and heard a scream being torn from the young man's throat and he grimaced at how painful it sounded. Then something changed, he wasn't sure what, but as Dean screamed, something felt different and he was sure that he didn't like it.

Adrienne leaned in close to the screaming Winchester's ear and whispered to him. "Do not tell anyone, but Geoff was a hunter too, a good one." She said.

_Geoff was a hunter too_. The words popped into Geoff's head, coming from no known source, nothing explainable anyway, but he heard them as clear as if a person had been standing not two feet in front of him and said the exact same thing. The words rang familiar and he groped at them, wanting nothing less than to pull them to the front of his mind because he knew that their significance was hidden within him somewhere, he just had to reach it.

* * *

Sam heard the anguished cry of his older brother and tears burned in his eyes as he continued to search for the cemetery that he hadn't yet found. He ran forward again and stopped, looked around and then saw through the trees the dark shapes of tomb stones and sighed in relief as he rushed towards them. Breaking through the trees, he searched the names on the stones and finally foudn the crypt he was looking for he ran forward into it, gathering the discarded salt that Dean had left there earlier as he went. He wasted no time in dousing all of the bones he found within the room, tearing the tops off of wooden boxes and salting the bones found within them and when he was satisfied he groped in his jeans to pull out a book of matches, praying that they were still good. He closed his eyes and struck the one that he had pulled and shouted triumphantly as the small wooden match burst into flame, he tossed it in the nearest coffin and watched as it burst into flame, the fires spreading throughout the entire crypt. He backed out and ran back to where he had heard Dean screaming.

**A/N: Yes, this chapter was shorter, but I don't think that matters, I think it said what it was supposed to and the next chapter may or may not be longer! I'll try to make it longer, but no promises haha. Let me know your thoughts on this story! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**A/N: Wow, I have had the worst writer's block known to man! I haven't been able to really write for nearly 3 months or more. It's crazy. I still have the block thing going on but I thought it best to try _something_ at least. It's insanity and I'm tired of it haha, here's the next chapter, I hope it isn't too bad, I'm gonna _try_ to get another chapter written in hopes that this chapter will help me to climb that mountainous writer's block. Enjoy!**

_Hunter._ Geoff should know that word. It felt famaliar, like a bright light in the back of his mind that had been covered with dust for too long. He drew a breath, a long shuddering breath as his lungs hitched from the pain in his side. He tried to shift position, but gasped when he did so and settled for staying in place, watching Dean and Adrienne as he clawed though his mind in an attempt to find something that would help his friend.

The bones weren't there? Tears stung Dean's eyes with the realization that his little brother was off on a useless mission to save his ass. He drew a shuddering breath fighting against the mind rape that was being forced upon him. He felt violated, Adrienne was trying to take away all he knew, everything he thought he was and she was ripping it away tiny piece by tiny piece and leaving gaping, bleeding, holes behind as she went.

"Where?" Dean asked and was surprised at how small and helpless his voice sounded in the winter chill.

A smile, not unlike that of a psychopath on a murdering spree, crossed Adrienne's face, turning her lips up in a disgusting smile that taunted him. She caressed his hair, her nails digging into his skull as she did so. She leaned close and whispered something too quiet to hear into Dean's ear. The words were enough to startle and disgust him. The woman was mad, absolutely and entirely mad and Dean wanted nothing more to do with her, but he was caught under her spell and couldn't move.

Geoff craned his neck, trying to hear Adrienne's words, he had to figure out a way to save the young man in front of him, even if it was the last thing that he ever did. He struggled to get up, not knowing where he was going, but not caring, he just had to do something. He got to his knees and tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him, sending him crashing back to the ground with a pained yelp that drew the attention of Adrienne and even Dean turned weakly to blink at Geoff in curiosity. The blonde man who felt pressed to remember the importance of the word _hunter_, lay dazed on the ground, breathing heavily through the pain and the haze that clouded his vision.

"Don't worry about him, he will be dead soon." Adrienne whispered. "Now, where were we?" She asked and leaned in to press a kiss on Dean's lips once again.

The oldest Winchester felt more of his energy drain from him and yelled out weakly as pain bombarded his thoughts. He had to get away, and fast, or he was going to be lost to himself forever.

* * *

Sam ran through the snow, panting, stumbling, and tripping the entire trek back to where he had last seen his brother. Something wasn't right, the feeling in the air still felt wrong, like nothing had really changed. He rounded the last twist and burst through the trees and his questions were answered immediately when he Saw Adrienne bent over Dean with her lips pressed to his.

He had to be quiet, he had to work this through if he was goign to rescue his brother. He'd burnt the entire crypt, there's no way any part of that bitch could have remained behind, unless there was something he didn't know. That had to be it, there must be something important that he didn't know. He ran through his mind thinking of what would make sense and a light went off in his thoughts. Of course! He'd burnt her crypt with bones in it, but _who_ those bones belonged to he didn't know. She had to be somewhere else. He crept around the perimetre of the scene laid out before him, cautious not to alert anybody of his presence and he dashed over to where Geoff lay panting on the ground, a fresh pool of blood blossoming on the snow beneath him. The guy was in rough shape, and so was his brother, he noted as he glanced over to where Adrienne seemed too preoccupied with Dean to even sense the arrival of the youngest brother.

"Sam?" The weak voice of Geoff whispered. Sam's gaze shifted immediately to the blonde.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Sam..I'm a hunter." Geoff stated, testing the words on his lips, rolling them around in his mouth to get a taste for the word that would send off alarms of recognition.

"What?" Sam questioned.

"A hunter." The young man stated, the words tasting sweet on his tongue, yes, they were good words, they were words that he knew.

Sam watched him quizzically, trying to decipher how the man laying before him could have ever been a hunter.

"Adrienne said that...that I was and so was doctor Grayson."

"She said that?" Sam whispered urgently. If that was true, then it could change everything.

Geoff nodded, too spent to speak any more as he continued to play with the words in his mind in hopes of gaining back the importance that they held to him.

* * *

From his spot on the ground, Dean had a fair view of the surrounding area, not that he was paying much attention. Not until he saw a familiar figure darting across the snow. Sam! Sam was back, he could tell him what he knew! He could...well as soon as he found out a way to shake off the bitch putting the moves on him. He pawed at her blindly with his hands, trying to push her away, but she only laughed at his attempts.

Had she noticed Sam? Dean didn't think so, if she had she would have done something by now, right?

_Right_. He thought to himself, trying to keep his thoughts of his brother as private as possible incase Adrienne _could_ hear what he was thinking.

"The floorboards?" Dean spoke as loud as he could, in hopes that Sam would hear his question and pay attention.

"Yes, my love. The floorboards." Adrienne stated.

"Why?" Dean asked.

"Because I knew that sooner or later some hunter would come along and try to do away with me. I could not let that happen, not when I am having so much fun running this little game and so I had myself spread around the castle under the wooden floorboards." Adrienne whispered.

* * *

_Floorboards?_ The words shot through Sam like an electric shock, that's why nothing had happened, he had to find the _right_ bones and now he knew that they were in the floorboards, now all he had to do was get to them.

_Around the castle, _she had said. So soft, Sam wasn't sure he'd heard properly, but it was his only chance. He looked down to Geoff who was struggling to get to his feet, he'd heard the words as well. Sam reached out and grabbed him gently under the arm, ignoring the blood that dripped to the ground.

"Stay here." Sam instructed. Geoff shook his head.

"I'm coming with you, if I can help...I want to help." Geoff said using Sam as leverage to climb to his feet.

"Geoff." Sam warned.

"She is around the castle, under the wooden boards. I know which rooms have wooden floors, it would take you forever to find them."

The guy had a point. Sam realized, but how could he get to the castle without being noticed with Geoff holding them back. He had to try, it was the only way. He looked back again to see if Adrienne had noticed. She still seemed infatuated with Dean. That was good, if only Dean could take enough to let them get to the castle it would be okay, it depended on Dean.

* * *

Dean saw Sam pull Geoff to stand. Good, he had heard her, but why was he taking Geoff with him? He liked the guy too, but Geoff was in no shape to make it to the castle, what the hell was Sam doing? He saw the two men take off across the castle grounds slowly and Adrienne started to turn. Dean pulled his strength together and reached up to grab her. It looked like it was time for another distraction, disgusted with himself, he pulled her close to him, but it worked. She was paying attention to him, that was good, that's what he wanted.

* * *

Too easy. That was what was going through Sam's head the entire trek to the big doors leading into the castle. It was too easy, they hadn't met any resistance, Adrienne hadn't noticed them leave, there was nothing. It was too easy, something had to give, it just had to.

He pushed the doors open as quietly as possible and pulled the semi-conscious Geoff thorugh with him, shutting the doors behind them. He looked around the back entrance room, there was _nobody_ there. Damn it he hated this, he hated when it was this easy because it meant that something _bad_ was bound to happen. No time to dwell on it, not this time, he had more pressing issues to deal with, he had to burn the bones.

"Okay, where's the closest wooden floor?" Sam asked.

"Kitchen, the pantry room." Geoff said and pointed down one of the halls.

"Okay, let's go." Sam replied and started off in the direction that Geoff had pointed out.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

_Hunter, hunter, hunter. I'm a hunter, I'm a hunter, why can't I remember?_ Geoff thought lazily as he was being helped down the corridor by the youngest Winchester brother. _They're _also_ hunters._ He kept repeating the words over and over again in his head, still hoping to ring a bell when finally something hit him. It felt like the entire castle had fallen down on top of him, pain stemmed from every nerve ending in his body. He tried to yell out, but was in too much pain to do so and he merely sunk towards the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks as strange pictures started flashing through his head, a woman, a baby, a road, a rainstorm. The pictures bombarded him and the woman and child came into his head once again.

"Emily...Leah." He whispered through clenched teeth. He felt Sam grasping him, heard a dull hum in his ears as the youngest brother spoke urgent words to him, but he could not understand what was being said. Blackness edged his vision, he was going to faint, he felt it, the world tipped around him, a high pitched hum slammed through his ears, he felt weightless, he was falling, no he was floating, the world dimmed and went black.

* * *

Sam stopped as Geoff started struggling in his hold, knees buckling, he started to slid to the floor and Sam was the only thing holding him up.

"Geoff?" Sam spoke quickly, all attention now turning to the young man next to him. Geoff couldn't hear him, he knew that he couldn't because he wasn't responding, he was lost in his own world, he whimpered pitifully, sounding like an abused dog, Samt ried to see his face, but it rolled from side to side, no strength to hold it up. Geoff tensed in Sam's hold and grabbed onto the youngest brother's arm as though to steady himself and pull himself back to reality.

"Emily...Leah." Geoff whispered, He tensed again and fell limp, his head dropping to his chest.

"Damn it!" Sam cursed and sunk slowly to his knees, puling Geoff along with him, he laid him flat, hoping that it would bring him around. He tapped the man's cheek lightly, calling urgently to him.

"Wake up! Geoff wake up!" Sam said rapidly. There was a moan of protest from the blonde on the floor and Sam urged further. "Yes, come on! Wake up! I need your help! We gotta help Dean!"

Icy blue eyes rolled open and stared around in a daze, not focusing on anything, just wandering. Finally the blue gaze came to rest on the dark haired Winchester supporting him. Geoff narrowed his eyes, trying to focus and recall the man's name...Sam, that was it, it was Sam.

"Sam?" Geoff tried, his voice cracking painfully. Sam nodded eagerly.

"What..happened?"

"You passed out on me man, what the hell was that? Who are Emily and Leah?" The youngest brother asked.

"My wife and daughter...I think. I don't really know, it is...fuzzy." Geoff whispered.

"You have a family?" Sam asked.

Geoff only nodded, he thought so and now the word _hunter_ flashed through his mind again followed by another onslaught of crippling pain in his head as images of horrific creatures he thought only existed in nightmares attacked him. He hissed and whimpered, his stomach flipping uncomfortably from the pain in his head.

"Geoff! Snap out of it!" Sam replied, seeing a far away look cross the handsome features, followed by a grimace of pain and a hiss of discomfort. The young man moaned miserably, his hand flying to his stomach. Sam's eyes widened and he rolled Geoff onto his side...just incase.

"Get yourself together!" Sam cried, they didn't have time for this! They had to help Dean. The youngest brother was torn between going off in search of the kitchen pantry and leaving Geoff vulnerable on the floor, or staying near the man to make sure nothing happened to him. He made a move to get up, his borther crossing his mind and then looked to the pained man on the floor and thought twice. He moved closer to Geoff and waited until the pain subsided.

"I'm a hunter." Geoff said, coming out of the world of horrors and resting his eyes on Sam once again.

"You said that already, what's going on with you?" Sam questioned.

"I'm not supposed to be here. I saw it, I don't think I'm supposed to be here." Geoff mumbled.

"C'mon, we gotta get to the pantry." Sam said, the words that Geoff spoke laying heavy on his mind. He reached under the man's arms once again and pulled him to his feet.

Geoff complied, he didn't resist the movement, but he groaned as it tore through him like a knife and his hand flew to the gaping injury in his side, his palm came away slick with blood and bile boiled in the back of his throat. He fought it, he had to fight it, for the sake of the Winchesters.

* * *

"Oh god." Dean moaned from beneath Adrienne. She had pushed him back onto the ground and was straddling him, rather un-ladylike, as the snow melted into his back, soaking him through. He flet his life force draining from him, his mind was jumbled with strange thoughts and feelings and much to his dismay the memory of his brother started to slip away.

"Damn it, no!" Dean hissed, grabbing the memory and yanking it back, he didn't want to lose it, not again, he didn't want to forget who he was, not now, not when Sam was in the castle trying to help him. He had to fight it just a little longer, had to give his brother time, time to rescue him.

"Oh yes." Adrienne smiled and leaned down on hism once again. Her skin was cold and it gave Dean goosebumps as her icy lips brushed his neck.

* * *

"Here? This is the pantry?" Sam asked, pointing to a small door on the far side of the kitchen.

Geoff nodded dumbly, he kept slipping back and forth from his thoughts to the present and each time waves of pain would crash down on him, each time memories forced their way to the surface, he would be utterly useless, taken aback by the fire in his blood and the pain in his head.

Sam gently lowered Geoff to the ground near the counter and rushed to pull the door open. It was locked.

"Damn it, no!" Sam shouted at the door, glaring at it in disgust. He stepped back and threw himself into it, over and over again until he felt the hinges give way and he fell in an ungraceful heap on the wooden floor behind it. He clawed at the floor boards, pulling up a few loose ones and a dirtied shaft of iviry came into view.

"Yes!" Sam cried, quickly reaching for the matches and packet of salt that he held in his pocket, he poured the salt and struck the match, tossing it into the gaping hole in the floor and smiled in satisfaction as the bones went up in flame.

A god-awful scream came from behind and he turned, half-expecting Adrienne to bo standing there, but instead he only saw Geoff, pale and sweaty on the floor trembling and shouting as he was overcome once again. Sam grimaced, feeling sorry for him and went to his side, dropping to his knees and reaching out for the blonde man in front of him.

"Geoff, where's the next floor?" Sam asked, hoping to cut through the man's haze.

"Stairs....there." Geoff whispered, pointing to a dark crevice in the wall, Sam got up and went to it, noting that the stairs leading to the second floor were made of wood, he ripped the first stair up, it came easily, attached to hinges at the back, more bones showed up and Sam yelled out in triumph. He moved from stair to stair, uncovering other bones as he went. He turned to go back down them, salting each hole as he did so and when he had reached to foot of them he tossed the match, the entire stairwell was taken over by fire.

Sam rushed back to Geoff and shook him out of his daze. "Now where?"

"Each bedroom...upstairs has..has a closet, wooden floor." Geoff gasped out as yet another series of images took over. He arched from the pain, blood from the knife wound splattering the floor and Sam watched helplessly, grabbing him and yanking him upright, not caring if Geoff felt it or not, they had to get the rest of the bones, Adrienne had surely noticed by now and it wouldn't belong before she discarded his brother and came after them.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Adrienne screamed from where she lay on him, stumbling blindly backward and falling in a heap in the snow. Tears streaked her face and she looked terrified, if she hadn't been such a basket-case Dean _might_ have felt sorry for her. As it stood, he felt no sympathy whatsoever, his brother was doing it, Sam was really doing it.

"No!" Adrienne screamed as she shuddered in the snow, her arms curling around her middle. She was sobbing now, hard, violent sobs shook her entire body. Dean only smiled.

The smile vanished from his face when the young woman shot to her feet, still crying and turned to him, her eyes as red as blood and her body broken out into giant, angry looking burn marks. She leapt on him and Dean screamed out as her hand dug deep up to her wrist in his head. His body exploded in pain and he saw black spots drifting across his vision as he fought with her. He was dizzy, and he felt sick, it was like the world's worst migraine. His chest heaved as he retched into the snow in front of him, Adrienne's hand never moved. Faster and faster now, he could feel parts of himself vanishing, popping like bubbles as though they had never been there. He held tight to the thoughts of Sam and his life as a hunter, resisting, not wanting to give it up, but it was quickly slipping through his fingers. He cried out again and his body heaved once more, he felt a trickle of blood running over his lip and into his mouth from his nose.

Adrienne cried out again and staggered backwards, Dean fell face first into the snow and the mess which now littered it. He retched again as his stomach tumbled unhappily within him and drew in a breath of foul snow. He used all his strength to push himself out of it and roll to his side, tears splashing down his cheeks, his head cried out with every scream that came from Adrienne. Then the cries stopped and he looked up blearily, just in time to see her hand thrust toward him and turn his world upside down yet again. He felt himself slipping, the blackness called to him and he fought to stay out of it, she didn't want to play with him anymore, no, now she wanted to kill him. That was his final thought as he passed out, his stomach still heaving.

* * *

"How many more?" Sam asked, hearing the screams of Adrienne reverberating through the entire castle.

Geoff didn't respond, Sam looked down to se the man had passed out once again, slouched against the wall and he cursed violently.

"Damn it! God Damn it! No! Don't you do this to me! Not now! Wake up!" Sam shouted, without Geoff he had at least fifteen other rooms left to search, he'd never make it in time! She'd come for sure. He yelled out, seething with anger and rushed toward the closest room, hoping for the best.

He shoved the door open and tore the place apart, not finding any wooden floor. With a shout of frustration he moved to the next room, same thing, no wooden floor, then the next with the same result. He was getting nowhere. He raced back to where Geoff was to find the man just starting to come around.

"Yes! Geoff, you need to tell me where the next floor is!" Sam shouted, Geoff tried to focus on the young Winchester once again, but his eyes showed no sign of knowing the answer to that question.

* * *

Dean clawed his way through the darkness of his mind, searching for consciousness and when he found it, he immediately regretted it, his entire body hurt, and he could just barely make out Adrienne, still looming in front of him, she was smiling now, seemingly stronger and she pulled her hand back.

"That idiot brother of yours found me. We can't have that." Adrienne said and turned on her heel to storm off across the snow, not even looking back to Dean as he slumped back to the ground, the pain too much for him yet again.

* * *

"Tell me where it is!" Sam yelled as Geoff fought to gather himself.

"The attic...and the dungeon, in the storage rooms in the dungeon." Geoff muttered.

The doors from below were heard busting open, followed by a shout to wake the dead and Sam heard heavy footfalls closing in on them from all around. They had been discovered, and they were screwed. There was no way Sam could make it to the attic _and_ the dungeon with this many people on his tail, not to mention dragging Geoff up and down the stairs. He couldn't leave him there, not now, not after all he had done for them.

"Split up." Geoff said simply and Sam saw him fighting to his feet, looking stronger now than he had in the past hour.

"Geoff, we can't you're in no shape to." Sam stated.

"No choice. I'll manage." Geoff said.

"Thanks."

Geoff nodded, his hand pressing against the wound on his side, trails of crimson dripping through his fingers.

"You do the attic, it's closer." Sam instructed, handing over a match and some salt. Geoff stumbled off in one direction. Sam bolted in the other.

He missed the first step at the top of the stone landing and tumbled the rest of the way down, his body cracking unceremoniously against each step as he fell. He hit the bottom and pain shot through his arm, starting at his wrist and wrenching it's way upward. It was almost enough to make him black out. He moaned, his face falling slack for just a moment and then looked down to inspect the damage. Yup, it was definitely broken.

"Oh god." Sam groaned and staggered to his feet, ignoring the pain as best as he could as he took off in the direction of the dungeons.

* * *

Geoff reached the top of the stairs and doubled over the railing as the pain continued to wash over him. Only a little further, through the door. Not far now. He pushed off of the railing and stumbled to the door which lucky for him was not locked. He pushed it in and fell to his knees as he searched for a loose board somewhere. He rushed through the room as best as he was able until he finally found a hatch in the floor which opened to reveal and skull with dark, hollow eyes staring up at him. His stomach flipped and he couldn't hold back the nausea any longer, he doubled in on himself and retched painfully, pouring slat on the bones with the hand that was not holding his bleeding side.

* * *

Sam skidded to a halt before he reached the stairs leading down to the dungeon, castle guards were cornering him from all sides and through a path through the people, Adrienne strutted towards him, looking like she had been left on the stove too long and dark rivers of clotted blood ran down her cheeks from her eyes. Sam turned away and ran to the stairs through the only opening he could find, hands grabbed for him on either side, but he pushed through anyway. A sharp shove on his back sent him flying once again to land in a heap at the foot of the stairs. He cried out, but gathered himself anyway and got back to his feet. He looked over his shoulder and Adrienne was walking quickly after him.

* * *

Geoff struck the match and watched as it burst into flame, before tossing it into the hole in the floor, form all around him, the screams of Adrienne echoed and he fell back onto the floor with a small smirk as he gazed dumbly at the ceiling above. He didn't even flinch when he heard footfalls coming up the stairs towards him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Adrienne screamed and fell to her knees, grasping at her face. Geoff must have been successful, he took advantage of the fallen woman and darted for the nearest storage room, looking for a hatch to pull up, he found one and salted and burned the bones inside. Another sharp cry from Adrienne. Sam ran again, looking for the next storage room, he found it and once more salted and burned the bones.

Surely that must be nearly all of them, there couldn't have been very many storage rooms left down here. He ran off to hunt for the next one where he did the same with the bones he found as he had done with all the previous. He took off again, got to the next room and opened the hatch, salted the bones, and just as he was about to burn them he was yanked back to crash into the far wall, he hit the ground with a grunt, his ears ringing from the impact as the world swam in and out of focus. He looked up and was repulsed by what he saw, Adrienne's face was charred black, her eyes still blazing and a smile ripped through her cracked cheeks, bits of the burned skin falling off to reveal the aged bone beneath. The smell of decay brushed his nose and his stomach clenched. He willed himself not to be sick, he still had work to do and he clambered to his feet, only to find himself being thrown off of them again and hitting the floor a few feet away from the open hatch in the floor.

The youngest brother grimaced as his body was rocked with pain and reached into his pocket for the match book. Damn, it was gone! He looked wildly over the floor for it and saw it discarded just behind Adrienne's approaching figure.

Of course it couldn't be that easy. Nothing ever was. He sighed and pushed himself off of the ground, scrambling for the matchbook and yelped when he felt himself being picked up again. He lingered in the air for a few minutes as if suspended by invisible wires and struggled to free himself. Adrienne approached him, her burned skin crumbling more and more with every step she took. She smiled that awful smile again and stopped just in front of Sam. As fast as the blink of an eye, her hand shot forward and penetrated his forehead. He cried out as he felt a mind-numbing twist of pain scatter through his head and tried to pull back. He fought and struggled until he was finally released and he hit the ground on his knees, hard. He hissed in pain and dove through the burned woman's legs to grab the matches before scooting back to the hatch, he could feel her behind him and the next instant pain bloomed in the back of his head and he screamed, trying desperately to strike the match over and over again, praying for it to jump to life so he could get this over with. He hoped this was the last stash of her bones, if not, he was pretty much finished.

Finally, through the haze of pain that had taken over he saw the match spark and flame. Without hesitation he dropped it from his weakening grasp and waited. The pain still twisted through his head, he was crying now, the pain was bad.

_Please work, please work!_ Was all he could think of over and over again. Finally his prayers were answered as Adrienne screamed again and Sam felt hot fire lick through his head. He screamed with her as the fire burned, shooting through his head and he yanked forward, hoping to dislodge her hand from his head, he fell to the side and felt the fire burn all the way through him as he watched in a daze as Adrienne went up in flame once and for all.

* * *

Geoff pulled himself to sit as screams echoed from all around him and he watched the guards drop one by one, vanishing in smoke as they fell. That must be it, it must be over. He watched in awe as a few of the guards failed to burn, and only fell in a heap on the floor, grunting before falling still. He pulled himself over to the nearest man and laid a hand on his chest. He was still breathing and Geoff watched as the man rapidly aged before his eyes before finally falling to dust and vanishing, he looked around, many of the other guards were doing the same. This confused him, he wasn't sure what to make of it all when suddenly his world exploded with pain once more and he was tossed back into a flood of memories that he didn't recognize before finally emerging on the other side, semi-conscious and weak.

Something was different this time though, there was a finality to it. He knew who he was. He had to get back to his family! They were probably worried sick about him! But wait, there was something else. The Winchesters! Yes! He had to see if they were okay. Around him the remaining men had pulled themselves to their feet in a daze, they numbered two, one was younger, the other was about doctor Grayson's age. They blinked wearily and their eyes fell on him.

"What the hell happened?" the youngest of the two asked.

Geoff merely shrugged, unable to talk without yelling at the slicing pain in his side. He looked down and saw the blood was running steadier now, he felt himself draining of energy. This wasn't good. The older man rushed forward when he saw the blood running through Geoff's hands and dropped next to him.

"Sir, you need help. Let us get you to a hospital. What's you name?" The man asked as the younger one, a brown haired, blue eyed man of about thirty, followed the actions of the older one, who Geoff thought to be around forty, and dropped in front of Geoff's line of vision.

"I'm Grant." The young man said, as if trying to prompt Geoff to say his name.

"Geoff." Was all that he could manage, a soft whisper that he wasn't even sure if the other two had heard.

"Okay Geoff, I'm Paul, let's get you to a hospital, okay?" The older of the two said.

Geoff shook his head vigorously in the negative. He couldn't go yet, not until he knew the Winchesters were safe.

The two men looked at him like he was crazy. "What do you mean no? You're bleeding out, we have to get you some help or you'll die." Grant objected.

"Two others..they're friends....one in the dungeons." Geoff said through staggered speech.

"There are more? Let's pray they aren't in the same shape as you, come on, let's go." Paul spoke and reached under one of Geoff's shoulders while Grant did the same on the other side and they slowly made their way down the steps leading from the attic.

* * *

Sam woke with a start, and felt white pain crashing through his arm.

"Oh, right...broken arm." He sighed and looked around for any sign of Adrienne. While he found none, he did see two men coming toward him, concern washed over their faces. Sam didn't know them, but they looked friendly enough.

"You okay?" Replied one, a man of about thirty-five with dark hair and eyes to match.

"My arm's broken and I have one hell of a headache, but I think so." Sam winced.

"What happened here? I was hunting for this haunted piece of forest, I was gonna kill the son of a bitch who haunted it. It was taking prisoners y'know, once every five years a man goes missing. I got out of my car and that's the last thing I remember, until now." Said a second man, probably fifty, with greying hair and kind green eyes.

"You're a hunter?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I have been for pretty much my whole life, my mother taught me everything I know. The name's Ryan." He said.

"Sam." The youngest Winchester responded absently.

"Allan." Said the younger man.

Sam watched the two men through questioning eyes. Is this what became of all of the missing people? They were sucked into this game, never to be heard from again?

* * *

"You gonna make it Geoff? You're looking pretty frail there." Paul asked, worry in his voice.

"I'll be fine." Geoff brushed him off quickly and they continued to the dungeon.

They hadn't come across any others on their walk, they found skeletons and nearly decomposed bodies, the smell assaulting them as they passed, but there were no others alive. The castle was dead.

The stairs to the dungeon lay open ahead of them and Geoff could hear voices coming from the lower floor and their pace quickened ever so slightly as they hurried to where the talking was coming from.

"Sam?" Grant called into the darkness, Geoff had told them the names of the men he was looking for on the way, and so he had wasted no time in calling out to the missing man.

* * *

Sam turned to where he heard his voice shouted from. "Down here!" He called back and pretty soon he saw three figures coming towards him, two supporting a very familiar face in the middle.

"Geoff!" Sam called, happy to see his friend alive.

Geoffrey looked up at the sound of his name and smiled tiredly with a nod.

"He needs a hospital." The younger man supporting Geoff replied.

"So does Sam, his arm's broken." Ryan spoke urgently.

"Where's Dean?" Geoff asked and he saw the colour drain from Sam's face as the young man wavered on his feet. Ryan reached out to steady Sam and grabbed onto his upper arm to keep the young man from toppling.

"He's outside, we have to get to him." Sam said quickly.

Geoff nodded. "Yes, we do." And his head dropped back to chest weakly.

* * *

Dean drifted in and out of consciousness, forgetting all about the snow melting against him. He was frozen to the bone anyway, a little more didn't matter. He licked his lips, a foul taste still lingering on his tongue. He needed water and he needed Sam. He blinked wearily and pushed himself to sit, the world tipped around him and for a split second he thought he was going to be sick again. He breathed deeply, in through the nose, out through the mouth until his stomach settled again. His head was killing him, if felt like a hole had been ripped clean through his skull. He reached up to touch it gently and was surprised to find not so much as a mark where Adrienne had stuck her hand in.

"Stupid bitch wasn't just a ghost." Dean mused and coughed slightly as bile stung the back of his tongue.

"Demon-ghost. Of some kind. Better be dead." Dean said to himself. His gaze drifted over the grounds and rested on the sprawled heap of doctor Grayson. Dean was alarmed to see that the man looked _much_ older than he remembered. Even in death, the eyes were sunken in and the skin was pulled back against the facial bones like a thin film.

He made a face as his stomach clenched again and brought a hand to rest on his middle in an attempt to calm his insides. He heard faint voices floating towards him and looked up to see six blurry figures stumbling towards him. He recognized Sam right away and pride swelled within him, all pain temporarily forgotten until his stomach warned him not to get too distracted and he turned his head to the side and dry heaved once more, nothing left in him to bring up. Damn it, he felt miserable.

* * *

Sam saw Dean double over in the distance and took off at a run to drop next to his big brother who was dry heaving into the snow. He laid a gentle hand on Dean's back and rubbed at it idly as though he had done it a thousand times. He hadn't, but he didn't care, Dean could damn well be embarrassed if he wanted to be, all that mattered was that they were together again.

"Dean, hey, you okay?" Sam asked in an attempt to make small talk.

"Does it look it?" Dean hissed through heaves.

Sam couldn't help but laugh a bit at the death glare that Dean shot him.

After a few more minutes, Sam felt Dean relax under his touch and look up at him, his cheeks flushed from the effort he had just put forth. A tickle in the youngest brother's throat caused him to cough and Dean's eyes were on him instantly, taking in his appearance, checking for injuries and his eyes rested on his little brother's arm. Sam had it held tightly against him to avoid jostling it and Dean saw that.

"Broken arm?" Dean questioned simply, casually, but still with concern.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, hurts like a bitch."

"I imagine." Dean looked up to see the five remaining figures and he smiled when he saw Geoff being supported by two of them, the other two lingering close to make sure the man didn't fall face first into the snow.

"Geoff!" Dean exclaimed, but did not move, knowing what happened the last time he tried that.

"It's good to see you." Geoff mumbled weakly.

"Man, you need a doctor." Dean pointed out the obvious and the others around him nodded in agreement.

Geoff gave one stiff, quick nod and slumped a little in the grasp that the two men had on him.

"Can you get up?" Sam questioned his brother.

Dean started to, but was floored once more by pain flaring up in every muscle in his body. He shook his head.

"Just give me a second to collect myself." The oldest brother remarked, drawing a few deep, concentrated breaths. He reached out for help and Sam started to move forward, but Dean withdrew his arm quickly.

"Not you, you're in rougher shape than I am." Dean snapped, but there was a smile in his voice.

The two men not holding up Geoff hurried forward to help the oldest brother to his feet.

"Okay?" Ryan asked.

Dean nodded. "Peachy, let's get out of here."


	24. Chapter 24

**Epilogue**

"Geoff's gonna be okay?" Sam asked as Dean ambled into the casting room that the youngest brother sat in as nurses wrapped his arm.

"Yeah, he'll be fine. You?" Dean asked.

"Arm's broken, they did a chest x-ray, found some kind of infection, they're gonna give me antibiotics." Sam replied simply.

Before Sam coudl speak Dean held up a hand. "I'm fine, Sam, healthy as a horse, nothing to worry about." The oldest brother grinned.

Sam rolled his eyes.

"So the others, Geoff and Ryan and them, they're..."Sam started.

"The men that have gone missing throughout the past fifteen years or so. They're back with their families now and Geoff's wife and kid are with him now."

Sam nodded as the nurse finished up the cast, patted his shoulder with an "all done," and left the room, saying that Sam could go when he was ready.

Prescription paper in hand, Sam followed his big brother out of the room and down the hall, stopping at the nurse's station to get directions to Geoff's room before they hit the road.

* * *

Geoff looked up from where his daughter sat happily on his bed, to his wife and beyond her to the Winchester brothers who were coming through the door.

"So, you're gonna live eh?" Dean joked.

Geoff grinned an nodded. "It looks that way."

"Good." Sam agreed.

Geoff's wife leaned over to kiss her husband on the cheek. "I'm going to the cafeteria to grab Leah a snack and some coffee, you want anything?" She questioned.

"No thanks, I'm fine babe." Geoff smiled and watched his wife pass the Winchesters with a thankful smile.

"She waited for me, for the past five years she wiated for me, can you believe it?" Geoff replied.

"That's love, my friend." Dean shot back.

Geoff nodded with a small smile that quickly vanished. "So it's over? That's it?" Geoff asked, he had to know.

The brothers nodded in unison. "Yeah, it's over, she's gone, Rockwell's gone and the castle is gone, it disappeared after we left. Ryan and Paul went back to chek on it themselves." Dean stated.

Geoff breathed a sigh of relief. "It was strange, y'know? Getting all of my memories back at once. And then seeing Leah again, who was only two the last time I saw her. Before it, well before it happened."

Leah looked up to her father with big blue eyes that matched his own. "You lost your memory, daddy?" The child asked, she couldn't have been any more than seven.

"Yeah, but it's back now." Geoff responded softly.

"That's good." Leah smiled and jumped softly off the bed. "I'm gonna go help mommy."

"Alright, I'll be here when you get back." Geoff said and watched his daughter scamper between the two brothers and down the hall.

"Glad to hear you're okay, we've gotta get going." Dean said.

"Going?" Geoff asked.

"Yeah we gotta hit the road, find another hunt, that kind of stuff." Dean stated, knowing that Geoff would understand since he was also a hunter.

"Look me up the next time you pass this way." Geoff responded and the brothers nodded.

"Will do." The oldest said.

"Get some rest and feel better." Sam replied with a smile and with a wave the Winchesters left the room and made their way back to the Impala.

**The End!**

**A/N: There! After a while this piece got finished, I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know your thoughts!**


End file.
